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Water Plans

The Kaua‘i Department of Water (DOW), Engineering Division, Water Resource and Planning Section oversees two long-range plans, the Kaua‘i Water Use and Development Plan (KWUDP) and the Water Systems Investment Plan (WSIP) (an update to Water Plan 2020).

Kauaʻi Water Use and Development Plan Update

The 1987 State Legislature enacted into law, Hawai‘i Revised Statutes, Chapter 174C – State Water Code (Code) to protect Hawai‘i’s surface and ground water resources.  The Code called for the Hawai‘i Water Plan to serve as a dynamic, long-range planning guide for the Commission on Water Resource Management (CWRM).  The Hawai‘i Water Plan consists of five parts:

  • Water Resource Protection Plan (WRPP) – Responsibility of the State of Hawai‘i, Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), CWRM
  • Water Quality Plan (WQP) – Responsibility of the State of Hawai‘i, Department of Health (DOH)
  • State Water Projects Plan (SWPP) – Responsibility of the State of Hawai‘i, Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR)
  • Agricultural Water Use and Development Plan (AWUDP) – Responsibility of the State of Hawai‘i, Department of Agriculture
  • County Water Use and Development Plans – Responsibility of each County Department of Water Supply

The Kaua‘i Water Use and Development Plan sets forth the allocation of water to land use to guide the county in its planning, management, and development of land use and water resource strategies and policies for sustainable development.  The original KWUDP was adopted by Kaua‘i County ordinance on April 27, 1990. The CWRM conditionally accepted the KWUDP on June 27, 1990.  The most recent KWUDP was approved by the Board of Water Supply on July 18, 2024.  The CWRM conditionally accepted the KWUDP on January 28, 2025. 

This following plan was revised September 2026. Currently, the plan is only available in PDF format.

Water Plan 2020: Final Report

DOW and members of the Water Board have completed a 20 year plan known as “Water Plan 2020”.  This is a comprehensive, long range planning effort, to ensure that we continue to provide safe, affordable and sufficient drinking water in the 21st century for our community. The plan reviews existing facilities, and service standards and provides an outline for new and replacement facilities, a capital improvement program for the next 5-7 years, a financial plan, and a rate study.

DOW operates 9 separate, unconnected water systems spread out along our island from Kekaha to Haena. Pumping water from 50 underground wells and tunnels and storing it in 58 tanks, DOW delivers water to approximately 21,000 accounts through 400+ miles of pipeline. Many of the water systems date back to the plantation era, and some pipelines are 80-100 years old.

Water Plan 2020 is focused on potable water, used for drinking and fire protection. It addresses the sources, infrastructure, and funding needed to deliver potable water. The plan will not cover issues involving water for agriculture, stream standards, and watershed management. These issues are the focus of other state and local planning and regulatory processes.

This following plan was approved by the Water Board on 3/21/01. Currently, the plan is only available in PDF format.

Water Plan 2020 is being updated by the Water Systems Investment Plan (WSIP).  The report will be posted here when it is available.