Bill > SB675

This bill establishes a new Cesspool Conversion Section within the Department of Health's Wastewater Branch to address the significant environmental and public health challenges posed by over 80,000 cesspools in Hawaii that currently discharge approximately 50 million gallons of wastewater into groundwater daily. The section will be responsible for managing state and federal financing options for cesspool conversion, developing public outreach and education programs, informing cesspool owners about conversion assistance, securing federal funding, and facilitating partnerships with counties and organizations to help property owners transition from cesspools to more environmentally sound wastewater systems. The bill defines "conversion of cesspools" as either connecting a cesspool to a sewerage system or upgrading it to a director-approved wastewater system, and it appropriates funding to establish three full-time equivalent permanent positions within the new section. The legislation recognizes the damage cesspools cause to public health, drinking water, marine ecosystems, and coral reefs, which provide significant economic and protective benefits to Hawaii, and aims to support the state's constitutional obligation to maintain clean water resources.