ROH §43-11.10
Rules for Covering or Changing Open Drainways
Read the official text at honolulu.gov ↗Open drainways like streams and ditches cannot be covered or changed unless the chief engineer says it's safe. A property owner who wants to do this must pay for it, provide supporting information, and get the chief engineer's approval for the plans.
landowners
The ordinance, as written (Honolulu County) — Open drainways
A copy, taken August 22, 2026. The version published by Honolulu is the one that governs, and it may have changed since. Check it before relying on anything here.
(a) Open drainways, such as streams, ravines, channels, and ditches, shall not be covered or modified, except when the chief engineer determines that such covering or modification of the open drainways will not be dangerous to the public health, safety, and welfare.
(b) If a property owner desires, at the property owner’s own cost, that an open drainway be covered or modified, the property owner shall submit all the pertinent data to substantiate the desirability of covering or modifying such a facility, including data showing that the function of the facility will not be hampered. The construction plans for such covering or modification shall be approved by the chief engineer.
)
Published by the City and County of Honolulu through American Legal Publishing.
LawTrove is not legal advice. The summary above is a computer-generated restatement — the authoritative text is the official version linked above.