Hawaii Well Driller Compliance Reference

All CWRM Forms

• Well Construction/Pump Installation (WCPI) Permit application: for drilling and pump work. CWRM's forms page: "WCPI Permit requirement also applies to sealing abandoned wells." Get it before any sealing work.
• Well Completion Report: Part 1 (construction) and Part 2 (pump installation): drilling date, strata, depth, casing, grout, yield, water quality
• Well Abandonment Report and Driller's Log forms
• Aquifer Pump Test Report and Water Meter Installation Report forms
• Ground Water Use Permit application: required in designated Groundwater Management Areas (high-capacity wells)

Hawaii licenses well-related work under the Contractors Licensing system (Chapter 444 HRS). Key classifications are C-57 (Well Contractor), C-57a (Pump Installation Contractor), and C-57b (Injection Well Contractor).

License Classifications

License Fees & Renewal

Exam Requirements

Applicants must pass the state trade exam for their classification plus the Business & Law (contractors' law) exam. Exams are administered by PSI.

• C-57 exam: 24 questions, 60 minutes (covers geology, drilling techniques, pumping, casing, abandonment)
• Application fee: $50 non-refundable per application; further fees after Board approval and the exam. The application and all supporting documents must reach the Board office by the first Tuesday of the month two months before the Board meeting; the Board's application page warns that, pursuant to HRS §436B-9, an application “shall be considered abandoned” if you “fail to complete the license process within one year after filing the application, or fail to take and pass the examination within 6 months after becoming eligible to take the examination.” The statute itself runs its one-year periods from the Board's written notices: an incomplete application is abandoned if the applicant “fails to submit all required documents, data, and information to the licensing authority within one year from the date of the licensing authority's written notice,” and an approved exam applicant abandons it on failing “to take the examination within one year from the date of the licensing authority's written notice” (HRS §436B-9(b), (c); see (d) for rejected exam applications). Plan on the Board's shorter timeline. Applicants need 4 years of supervisory experience within the past 10 years and must pass the exams within 6 months
• Study materials: Available from PVL and PSI

Continuing Education

Well Completion Report Requirements (HRS §174C-85)

The completion report must include:

• Drilling date and location
• Strata encountered (depth, thickness, description)
• Total depth drilled
• Casing depth, size, weight, and placement
• Grout type and seal depth/material
• Yield (GPM or CFS)
• Static water level/pressure (psi)
• Laboratory analysis of water quality

The driller or, for a pump, the pump installation contractor files the report. HAR §13-168-13 also lists the State well number, tax map key, well head, top of casing and ground elevations, method of construction, a driller's log, a pumping test record (times, rates, drawdown and chloride content) and water temperature.

Well Abandonment/Sealing (HRS §174C-87)

If a well is permanently abandoned, the owner must obtain a Well Sealing Permit from CWRM before sealing. The sealing work must be done by a licensed driller and follow State well standards and EPA guidelines. The sealing permit application is signed by the licensed driller, and the CWRM standards require a C-57 licensed well driller to do the sealing. After sealing, file the Well Abandonment Report with CWRM within 30 days of finishing the work (HAR §13-168-16(c); the CWRM standards, Sec. 3.9, say 60 days, so file within 30). When property with a known or visible abandoned well changes hands, the owner must notify CWRM when escrow opens (HRS §174C-87(c), added 2022); CWRM's Notification of New Well Ownership form is separate.

Governing Law

Well drilling in Hawaii is governed by the State Water Code (HRS Chapter 174C) and Hawaii Administrative Rules (HAR) Title 13, Subtitle 7, Chapter 168 (Water Use, Wells, and Stream Diversion Works). These incorporate the Hawaii Well Construction and Pump Installation Standards (incorporated by reference in HAR §13-168-14).

Casing and Grouting Requirements (CWRM Well Construction & Pump Installation Standards)

• Grouted annular space: Non-artesian wells are grouted from the ground surface to 500 ft or 70% of the distance to the top of the target aquifer, whichever is less; grout is at least 1.5 in. thick all around if placed by positive displacement, otherwise 2 in. (Sec. 2.6)
• Solid casing length: At least 90% of the depth to water in non-artesian wells; artesian wells must be cased and grouted so they do not leak between formations (Sec. 2.4)
• Conductor pipe: Usually temporary; permanent conductor that reaches the minimum grouted depth is grouted as permanent casing, otherwise it must be removed so the annulus can be grouted to surface (Sec. 2.6)
• Wellhead: Lockable cover or threaded cap; concrete base at least 4 in. thick extending 2 ft each way; potable wells in flood areas end 2 ft above the 100-year flood level (Sec. 2.10)

Setback Requirements

Note: The CWRM well standards set no fixed setback distances (Sec. 2.3 says to site wells the maximum distance possible from sources of pollution), so the figures above are not CWRM rule text. Distances are applied case-by-case with DOH and local health requirements. All wells must be sited to prevent contamination of ground water.

Disinfection

New wells must be disinfected (chlorinated) after construction and prior to use. Hawaii best-practices (consistent with EPA/CDC guidance) require:

• Shock well with chlorine bleach to at least 100 mg/L in the borehole (Sec. 2.8)
• Leave the solution in the well overnight or at least 8 hours
• Verify bacteriological safety before pumping potable water
• Well standards implicitly require sanitary disinfection

Well Construction Permit (HRS §174C-84)

No well work may start without a CWRM permit. An application for a Well Construction Permit must be filed with CWRM before drilling or pump installation.

• Who applies: The well driller who will construct the well (the pump installation contractor for a pump permit), per HRS §174C-84(a)
• Filing fee: $300, non-refundable
• Before work starts: Send CWRM a Start of Work Notice 2 weeks ahead and post the permit at the site for the whole job (WCPI application steps 7 and 8)
• Review timeline: CWRM acts within 90 days by law
• Permit period: HAR §13-168-12(j): each permit “shall be for a specified period not to exceed two years, unless otherwise specified in the permit and shall contain the commencement and completion dates for the permitted activity.” Go by the dates on your own permit. Under HAR §13-168-12(k), CWRM “may extend the completion dates of the activity prescribed in any permit upon a showing of good cause and good-faith performance,” and if a date is missed it notifies the permittee by certified mail “that the permit shall be revoked within sixty days unless the permittee can show good cause that it should not be revoked.”
• What needs a permit: HAR §13-168-12(a): "No well shall be constructed, altered, or repaired and no pump or pumping equipment shall be installed, replaced, or repaired without an appropriate permit from the commission." Sealing an abandoned well also needs the WCPI permit (see Forms)
• DOH review: CWRM forwards application to DOH for location review (concurrent)

Water Use Permit (High-Capacity Wells)

Any substantial withdrawal (especially in designated Groundwater Management Areas) requires a Water Use Permit under HRS 174C Part IV and HAR Title 13, Ch. 171.

• Trigger: Large wells (e.g., >100,000 gpd or in overpump areas)
• Filing fee: $25
• Review timeline: 90 days statutory review
• Criteria: Reviewed per HRS §174C-49 (consistency with public interest, existing rights, etc.)

County Permits

Each county imposes its own permits for private wells. Drillers must check with local Department of Water Supply or Building Department:

• Honolulu (Oahu): Building permits + Board of Water Supply plan approval
• Hawaii County (Big Island): Well drilling registration/permits + water testing
• Maui County: DWS reviews well plans
• Kauai County: DWS reviews well plans

Special Permits

General Geology

Hawaii's aquifers are in volcanic rock. Each island is built from large shield volcanoes of varying ages. The islands range from Miocene-age basalt (Niihau/Kauai) to active basalt flows (Hawaii Island). Interior calderas and rift zones often have low-permeability "lens" traps, while outer flanks host high-yield aquifers.

Common Challenges

• Hard basalt: Can wear bits and slow progress; plan for harder rock
• Perched lenses: Above impermeable layers may give high initial flows
• Artesian conditions: Confined aquifers west of dikes; require pressure control
• Saltwater intrusion: Coastal wells must guard against pulling in brackish water (deep casing through freshwater lens)
• Volcanic minerals: Sulfate levels or minor boron from volcanic materials common

Seasonal Issues

Hawaii's tropical climate means no freezing, but:

• Heavy rains (Nov–Mar): Can flood low-lying drilling sites, raise water table
• Dry season (summer): Often lowers water tables and yields
• High-rainfall areas (windward sides): May require scheduling drilling to avoid flash floods/landslides
• Water levels fluctuate seasonally (typically higher in wet months)

Arsenic Advisory Areas

Certain regions (notably parts of Maui and Hawaii Island) have naturally high arsenic in groundwater or soil. The Kula/Puunene area on Maui and volcanic areas of Hawaii Island have elevated arsenic levels.

Contamination Zones

Wells near known contaminant sites (landfills, former agricultural/pesticide storage, fuel stations, military sites) are subject to additional rules. DOH Groundwater Contamination Maps identify wells where organics have been detected.

• Wells in contamination zones may require advance DOH approval
• Special waterproofing of seals may be required
• No injection of waste allowed
• Report to DOH if site is in protected zone

Wellhead Protection Areas

CWRM has designated Groundwater Management Areas (critical wellhead protection regions) around key aquifers and wellfields (e.g., Honolulu, Pearl Harbor, Wailua, Windward Oahu, all Molokai, Central Maui).

• Drilling reports and permits reviewed more strictly
• Proposed high-capacity wells scrutinized for source impacts
• Typically tied to Water Use Permit requirement

Regulatory References

• HRS Chapter 174C (State Water Code) – Including §174C-84 (permits), §174C-85 (completion reports), §174C-87 (well sealing)
• Hawaii Well Construction and Pump Installation Standards (2004) – Casing, grouting, disinfection and sealing requirements
• HAR §13-168-14 – Well construction and pump installation standards (HAR §13-168-12, -13 and -16 cover permits, completion reports and abandoned wells)
• HAR 11-23 – Underground Injection Control (UIC) permits

Professional Associations

• Hawaii Section of AWWA – Technical resources, code workshops, networking
• National Ground Water Association (NGWA) – Industry standards, training, certification
• General Contractors Association of Hawaii – Local industry support