Bill > SB426

This bill aims to accelerate the upgrade, conversion, or connection of cesspools in Hawaii to address pollution and public health concerns. It requires priority level 1 cesspools, which pose the greatest contamination hazard, to be upgraded, converted, or connected before January 1, 2030, with some exceptions for certain state parks until January 1, 2035. Priority level 2 cesspools, which have a significant contamination hazard, must be upgraded, converted, or connected before January 1, 2035. The bill also allows the Department of Health to grant exemptions to property owners who can demonstrate legitimate reasons, such as small lot size, steep topography, poor soils, or accessibility issues, that make it infeasible to upgrade, convert, or connect their cesspools. The existing law requiring all cesspools in the state to be upgraded, converted, or connected by January 1, 2050, remains in place for the remaining cesspools not classified as priority level 1 or 2.