Hawaii Revised Statutes Division 1. Government § 179D-27

(a) Every owner of a dam or reservoir that falls within the definition of a dam or reservoir in this chapter and was completed prior to July 6, 2007 shall file with the board a separate application for a certificate of approval to impound and any other supporting information as required by the board for each dam or reservoir. Each application shall also be accompanied by application fees as required by the board. During the application process for a certificate of approval to impound, the owner or operator of a dam or reservoir may continue to impound water, unless the board determines that the dam or reservoir may pose a danger to the health and safety of persons or property.

(b) The board shall give notice to file an application for certificate of approval to impound to owners of dams or reservoirs who have failed to file such applications as required by this chapter.

(c) The notice provided for in this section shall be delivered by certified mail to the owner at the owner's last address of record in the office of the county tax assessor in which the dam or reservoir is located. The mailing shall constitute service.

(d) The board shall make inspections of any dams and reservoirs, unless the data, records, and inspection reports on file with it are found adequate to enable a determination of whether or not the certificate of approval to impound should be issued.

(e) The board shall require owners of the dams and reservoirs to perform at their expense any work or tests as may reasonably be required to disclose information sufficient to enable the board to determine whether to issue certificates of approval to impound, or to issue orders directing further work at the owner's expense necessary to safeguard life and property. For this purpose, the board may require an owner or operator to lower the water level of, or to drain, the dam or reservoir.

(f) If, upon inspection or upon completion to the satisfaction of the board of all work that may be ordered, the board finds that the dam and reservoir are safe to impound water, a certificate of approval to impound shall be issued. The board may find that the dam or reservoir will not safely impound water and may refuse to issue a certificate of approval to impound. Upon finding that the dam or reservoir is unsafe to impound water, the board shall issue a written notice to the owner. After receipt of the notice, the owner shall no longer cause or allow the dam and reservoir to impound water.