Proposed changes to state health rules would address Hawaiʻi’s cesspool problem
There are approximately 90,000 cesspools in the State of Hawaiʻi today, the majority of which pose potential health risks to residents via water contamination. The Hawaiʻi State Department of Health (DOH) is now proposing changes to its administrative rules that would begin to reduce the number of cesspools in the state through infrastructure upgrades.
The rule changes would prevent new cesspools from being permitted and require that existing cesspools be upgraded to sewers or septic systems within six months after the sale of a property.
Requiring cesspool upgrades immediately followed the sale of property makes good sense because the cost of the upgrade can be shared between the buyer and seller at a point in time in which the seller—with proceeds from the sale—is better able to afford upgrading costs. At the same time, the buyer—usually already borrowing for their purchase—would be able to obtain additional financing for eliminating the cesspool.
Other states, including Iowa, New Jersey and Massachusetts, already require cesspools to be upgraded to septic systems when property ownership changes.
Cesspools don’t treat wastewater; they merely store it in one location, often deep within the ground and in direct contact with groundwater, creating a constant risk of groundwater contamination. Cesspools can contaminate drinking water sources, streams and oceans with disease-causing pathogens, algae-inducing nutrients, and other harmful substances. Untreated wastewater from cesspools can contain bacteria, protozoa and viruses that can cause gastroenteritis, Hepatitis A, conjunctivitis, leptospirosis, salmonellosis and cholera.
Cesspools in Hawaiʻi release approximately 55 million gallons of untreated sewage into the ground each day. Cesspools in Hawaiʻi release as much as 23,700 pounds of nitrogen and nearly 6,000 pounds of phosphorus into the ground each day, which can stimulate undesirable algae growth, degrade water quality, and impact coral reefs.
According to the DOH, there are approximately 90,000 cesspools in the State of Hawaiʻi:
50,000 are located on the Big Island;
Almost 14,000 are on Kauaʻi;
More than 12,000 are on Maui;
More than 11,000 are on O‘ahu; and
More than 1,400 are on Molokaʻi.
Some 87,000 of the state’s cesspools pose a risk to our water resources, according to the DOH. Throughout Hawaiʻi, there are approximately 6,700 cesspools located within just 200 feet of a perennial stream channel, and approximately 31,000 cesspools are located within perennial watersheds on the islands of Hawaiʻi, Kauaʻi, Maui and Molokaʻi.
Hawaiʻi is also the only state in the U.S. that still allows the construction of new cesspools. Approximately 800 new cesspools are approved for construction in Hawaiʻi each year.
The DOH will hold a public hearing on its proposed updates to the administrative rules regarding cesspools. The hearing will be held on Oʻahu at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 2, 2014 in the 5th Floor Conference Room at 919 Ala Moana Boulevard.
Individuals desiring to testify are asked to submit two copies of their statement before or at the public hearing. Written statements will also be accepted until 4 p.m. on Friday, October 17, 2014, mailed to the Wastewater Branch, Environmental Management Division, State Department of Health, 919 Ala Moana Boulevard, Room 309, Honolulu 96814-4920, or emailed to wwb@doh.hawaii.gov. The public notice, draft rule amendments, and rationale for the proposed amendments can be found here.
