Hawai‘i County to host public meeting to discuss closure of large-capacity cesspools in Ka‘ū

A community informational meeting is scheduled for Aug. 20 to discuss the closure of the large-capacity cesspools in Pāhala and Nāʻālehu.

The semi-annual meeting, hosted by Hawai‘i County, will be held at the Nāʻālehu Community Center, 95-5635 Hawaiʻi Belt Road. At the meeting, the county’s Department of Environmental Management will discuss updates related to the projects in both communities.

The meeting will be streamed online via Zoom at https://bit.ly/lcc-update.

Across the state, there are 83,000 cesspools that play a role in contaminating floodwaters, threatening public health, damaging fragile ecosystems, and increasing the risk of pollution reaching beaches, streams and drinking water supplies.

Most of these cesspools are located on Hawai‘i Island.

The closure of the large-capacity cesspools is required under an Administrative Order of Consent issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

In 2017, the state passed Act 125, requiring all cesspools to be upgraded or converted to code-compliant wastewater systems by 2050, unless exempted. However, the Legislature recognizes that the high cost of these conversions can be a barrier for homeowners.

Work is underway to build new wastewater systems.

However, since the act was passed almost 10 years ago, little progress has been made to meet the goal, partially because Hawaiʻi lacks the workforce to tackle the issue, according to a June press release from the University of Hawai‘i.

As a result, the Hawaiʻi Community College in Hilo and UH Maui College launched a new certificate program that trains students to assist contractors and engineers who are working on cesspool conversions and installations of more sustainable systems.

The Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems Specialist Certificate provides training opportunities for students to quickly enter the wastewater industry and obtain sustainable employment.

“The cesspool issue is complex and will require a multitude of different stakeholders working together to find solutions,” stated Charlotte Cheek, project coordinator and instructor for the colleges’ Workforce for Water, in the news release. “The certificate was created in response to the growing need for more wastewater professionals in our communities.”

Also, to support the 2050 goals, Hawai‘i Gov. Josh Green signed four measures into law in July that reinforce Hawaiʻi’s long-term investments in the environment by expanding support for conservation efforts and modernizing wastewater systems.

For more information about the meeting in Ka‘ū, visit www.dem.hawaiicounty.gov/home-em or email cohdem@hawaiicounty.gov.