Hawaii Administrative Rules
Title 11 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
Subtitle 1 - GENERAL DEPARTMENTAL PROVISIONS
Chapter 54 - WATER QUALITY STANDARDS
Section 11-54-1 - Definitions
As used in this chapter:
"Ambient conditions" means the water quality conditions that would occur in the receiving waters if these waters were not influenced by the proposed new human activity.
"Amphidromous" means aquatic life that migrate to and from the sea, but not specifically for reproductive purposes. Amphidromous aquatic life in Hawaiian streams are confined to fresh waters as adults, but their larval stages are partially or entirely spent in the ocean as part of the zooplankton.
"Anchialine pools" means coastal bodies of standing waters that have no surface connections to the ocean but display both tidal fluctuations and salinity ranges characteristic of fresh and brackish waters, indicating the presence of subsurface connections to the watertable and ocean. Anchialine pools are located in porous substrata (recent lava or limestone) and often contain a distinctive assemblage of native aquatic life. Deeper anchialine pools may display salinity stratification, and some shallow pools may contain standing water only on the highest tides.
"Aquatic life" means "any type or species of mammal, fish, amphibian, reptile, mollusk, crustacean, arthropod, invertebrate, coral, or other animal that inhabits the freshwater or marine environment and includes any part, product, egg, or offspring thereof; or freshwater or marine plants, including, seeds, roots, products, and other parts thereof" (section 187A-1, HRS).
"Best degree of treatment or control" means that treatment or control which is required by applicable statutes and regulations of the State of Hawaii and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as amended, ( 33 U.S.C. §1251, et seq.) or which is otherwise specified by the director considering technology or management practices currently available in relation to the public interest.
"Best management practices" or "BMPs" means schedules of activities, prohibitions or designations of practices, maintenance procedures, and other management practices to prevent or reduce the pollution of State waters. Best management practices also include treatment requirements, operating procedures, and practices to control plant site runoff, spillage or leaks, sludge or waste disposal, or drainage from raw material storage. BMPs include methods, measures or practices selected by the department to meet nonpoint source pollution control needs. BMPs also include but are not limited to structural and nonstructural controls. BMPs can be applied before, during, and after pollution-producing activities to reduce or eliminate the introduction of pollutants into receiving State waters.
"Brackish waters" means waters with dissolved inorganic ion concentrations (salinity) greater than 0.5 parts per thousand, but less than thirty-two parts per thousand.
"Coastal waters" means "all waters surrounding the islands of the State from the coast of any island to a point three miles seaward from the coast, and, in the case of streams, rivers, and drainage ditches, to a point three miles seaward from their point of discharge into the sea and includes those brackish waters, fresh waters and salt waters that are subject to the ebb and flow of the tide" (section 342D-1, HRS) .
"Coastal wetlands" means natural or man-made ponds and marshes having variable salinity, basin limits, and permanence. These wetlands usually adjoin the coastline and may be subject to tidal, seasonal, or perennial flooding. Coastal wetlands are generally maintained by surface and subterranean sources of fresh and salt water. Many natural coastal wetlands have been modified significantly by man and are characterized by introduced aquatic life. Coastal wetlands include, but are not limited to, salt marshes, open ponds, mudflats, man-made or natural waterbird refuges, isolated seasonal lakes and mangrove flats.
"Department" means department of health, State of Hawaii.
"Developed estuaries" means volumes of brackish coastal waters in well-defined basins constructed by man or otherwise highly modified from their natural state. Developed estuaries include, but are not limited to, dredged and revetted stream termini.
"Director" means the director of health, State of Hawai^i, or the director's duly authorized agent.
"Discharge" means the discharge of a water pollutant.
"Ditches and flumes" means fresh waters flowing continuously in artificial channels. They are used mainly for the purpose of irrigation and usually receive water from stream diversions. Ditches and flumes may be inflowing (carry water to reservoirs or user areas) or outflowing (drain water from reservoirs or user areas).
"Drainage basin" or "watershed" means the region or area drained by a stream or river system.
"Drainage ditch" means that facility used to carry storm runoff only, not sanitary sewage.
"Elevated wetlands" means natural freshwater wetlands located above 100 m (330 ft) elevation. They are generally found in undisturbed areas, mainly in remote uplands and forest reserves with high rainfall. Elevated wetlands include upland bogs, marshes, swamps, and associated ponds and pools.
"Estuaries" means characteristically brackish coastal waters in well-defined basins with a continuous or seasonal surface connection to the ocean that allows entry of marine fauna. Estuaries may be either natural or developed.
"Existing uses" means those uses actually attained in the water body on or after November 28, 1975 whether or not they are included in the water quality standards.
"Flowing springs and seeps" means perennial, relatively constant fresh water flows not in distinct channels, in which the water emanates from elevated aquifers as wet films or trickles over rock surfaces. They are found typically as natural occurrences along rock faces or banks of deeply incised streams, and artificially along road cuts.
"Flowing waters" means fresh waters flowing unidirectionally down altitudinal gradients. These waters may or may not be confined in distinct channels. Flowing waters include streams, flowing springs and seeps and ditches and flumes.
"Fresh waters" means all waters with a dissolved inorganic ion concentration of less than 0.5 parts per thousand.
"Hydric soil" means soil that, in its undrained condition, is saturated, flooded, or ponded and develops conditions that favor the growth and regeneration of hydrophytic vegetation.
"Hydrophytic vegetation" or "hydrophytes" means plants adapted to growing in seasonally or permanently flooded conditions.
"Intermittent streams" means fresh waters flowing in definite natural channels only during part of the year or season. Intermittent streams include many tributaries of perennial streams.
"Introduced aquatic life" means those species of aquatic organisms that are not native to a given area or water body and whose populations were established (deliberately or accidentally) by human activity. "Introduced" organisms are also referred to as "alien" or "exotic".
"Low wetlands" means freshwater wetlands located below 100 m (330 ft) elevation that may be natural or artificial in origin and are usually found near coasts or in valley termini. Low wetlands are maintained by either stream, well, or ditch influent water, or by exposure of the natural water table. Low wetlands include, but are not limited to, natural lowland marshes, riparian wetlands, littoral zones of standing waters (including lakes, reservoirs, ponds and fishponds) and agricultural wetlands such as taro lo'i.
"Native aquatic life" means those species or higher taxa of aquatic organisms that occur naturally in a given area or water body and whose populations were not established as a result of human activity.
"Natural estuaries" means volumes of brackish coastal waters in well-defined basins of natural origin, found mainly at the mouths of streams or rivers. Natural estuaries can be either stream-fed (drowned stream mouths fed by perennial stream runoff) or spring-fed (nearshore basins with subterranean fresh water sources). Stream-fed estuaries serve as important migratory pathways for larval and juvenile amphidromous stream fauna.
"Natural freshwater lakes" means standing water that is always fresh, in well-defined natural basins, with a surface area usually greater than 0.1 ha (0.25 acres), and in which rooted emergent hydrophytes, if present, occupy no more than thirty per cent of the surface area. Natural freshwater lakes in Hawai^i occur at high, intermediate, and low elevations. Lowland freshwater lakes characteristically lack a natural oceanic connection (surface or subsurface) of a magnitude sufficient to cause demonstrable tidal fluctuations.
"Nonpoint source pollution" has the meaning defined in section 342E-1, HRS.
"Perennial streams" means fresh waters flowing year-round in all or part of natural channels, portions of which may be modified by humans. Flow in perennial streams may vary seasonally. Perennial streams may be subdivided into longitudinal zones, based on elevation and gradient:
(1) Headwater zone (elevation above 800 m (2600 ft) or gradient above 30 per cent or both);
(2) Mid-zone (elevation between 50-800 m (165-2600 ft), or gradient between 5 and 30 per cent or both); and
(3) Terminal zone (elevation below 50 m (165 ft) or gradient below 5 per cent or both).
Perennial streams may be either continuous or interrupted. Continuous perennial streams discharge continuously to the ocean in their natural state, and contain water in the entire length of the stream channel year-round. Interrupted perennial streams usually flow perennially in their upper reaches but only seasonally in parts of their middle or lower reaches, due to either downward seepage of surface flow (naturally interrupted) or to man-made water diversions (artificially interrupted).
"Person" has the same meaning as defined in section 342D-1, HRS.
"Point source" has the same meaning as defined in section 11-55-01.
"Pollution" means "water pollution" as defined in section 342D-1, HRS.
"Reservoirs" means standing water that is always fresh, in well-defined artificially created impoundments.
"Saline or salt waters" means waters with dissolved inorganic ion concentrations greater than thirty-two parts per thousand.
"Saline lakes" means standing waters of salinities ranging from brackish to hypersaline, located in well-defined natural basins, and lacking a natural surface connection to the ocean. Saline lakes may be present as high-island shoreline or near-shoreline features (e.g. Lake Nomilu, Kauai; Salt Lake, Oahu; Lake Kauhako, Molokai) or as low-island closed lagoons (Lake Laysan, Laysan). They are usually, but not always, fed by seawater seepage and may be diluted by rainwater, overland runoff, or ground water, or concentrated by evaporation.
"Schedule of compliance" means a schedule of remedial measures including an enforceable sequence of actions or operations leading to compliance with an effluent limitation, other limitation, prohibition, or standard.
"Springs and seeps" means small, perennial, relatively constant freshwater flow not in distinct channels, such as wet films or trickles over rock surfaces, in which the water emanates from elevated aquifers. Springs and seeps may be either stream associated, occurring in deeply cut valleys and contributing to stream flow; or coastal, occurring on coastal cliffs and usually flowing into the ocean.
"Standing waters" refers to waters of variable size, depth, and salinity, that have little or no flow and that are usually contained in well-defined basins. Standing water bodies include natural freshwater lakes, reservoirs or impoundments, saline lakes, and anchialine pools.
"State waters", as defined by section 342D-1, HRS, means all waters, fresh, brackish, or salt around and within the State, including, but not limited to, coastal waters, streams, rivers, drainage ditches, ponds, reservoirs, canals, ground waters, and lakes; provided that drainage ditches, ponds, and reservoirs required as part of a water pollution control system are excluded. This chapter applies to all State waters, including wetlands, subject to the following exceptions:
(1) This chapter does not apply to groundwater^ except the director may in the director's discretion take appropriate actions when the director believes that the discharge of pollutants to the ground or groundwater has adversely affected, is adversely affecting, or will adversely affect the quality of any State water other than groundwater.
(2) This chapter does not apply to drainage ditches, flumes, ponds and reservoirs that are required as part of a water pollution control system.
(3) This chapter does not apply to drainage ditches, flumes, ponds, and reservoirs that are used solely for irrigation and do not overflow into or otherwise adversely affect the quality of any other State waters, unless such ditches, flumes, ponds, and reservoirs are waters of the United States as defined in 40 C.F.R. section 122.2. The State of Hawai^i has those boundaries stated in the Hawai'i Constitution, art. XV, §1.
"Streams" means seasonal or continuous water flowing unidirectionally down altitudinal gradients in all or part of natural or modified channels as a result of either surface water runoff or ground water influx, or both. Streams may be either perennial or intermittent and include all natural or modified watercourses.
"Stream channel" means a natural or modified watercourse with a definite bed and banks which periodically or continuously contains flowing water.
"Stream system" means the aggregate of water features comprising or associated with a stream, including the stream itself and its tributaries, headwaters, ponds, wetlands, and estuary. A stream system is geographically delimited by the boundaries of its drainage basin or watershed.
"Surface water" means both contained surface water (that is, water upon the surface of the earth in well-defined basins created naturally or artificially including, but not limited to, streams, other watercourses, lakes, and reservoirs) and diffused surface water (that is, water occurring upon the surface of the ground other than in contained basins). Water from natural springs and seeps is surface water when it exits from the spring onto the earth's surface.
"Water pollution control system" means a system designed and constructed specifically for the purpose of collecting, handling, storing, treating, or disposing of storm water, domestic wastewater, and/or industrial wastewater, to prevent water pollution.
"Wetlands" means land that is transitional between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems where the water table is usually at or near the surface or the land is covered by shallow water. A wetland shall have one or more of the following attributes:
(1) At least periodically the land supports predominantly hydrophytic vegetation;
(2) The substratum is predominantly undrained hydric soil; or
(3) The substratum is nonsoil (gravel or rocks) and is at least periodically saturated with water or covered by shallow water.
Wetlands may be fresh, brackish, or saline and generally include swamps, marshes, bogs, and associated ponds and pools, mud flats, isolated seasonal ponds, littoral zones of standing water bodies, and alluvial floodplains. For the purpose of applying for water quality certifications, under Clean Water Act Section 401, and for National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit purposes, the identification and delineation of wetland boundaries shall be done following the procedures described in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Wetlands Delineation Manual (USACE 1987).
