HONOLULU – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced a settlement with the County of Maui to close seven Large Capacity Cesspools on the islands of Maui and Molokai. These cesspools are potential sources of harmful water contamination.
Cesspools collect and release untreated raw sewage into the ground, potentially contaminating groundwater, streams, and the ocean with disease-causing pathogens and harmful chemicals.
Under the proposed terms, the County of Maui has agreed to close the seven cesspools by June 30, 2025, and pay a penalty. Additionally, the county will review all properties it owns or operates to identify any other large capacity cesspools and close them within an agreed timeframe.
“EPA is committed to protecting Hawai’i’s precious water resources and enforcing the law by closing all Large Capacity Cesspools in the state,” said Martha Guzman, EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator. “These actions taken by Maui County, as a large landowner, will ensure cleaner groundwater, surface water and beaches.”
In June 2022, EPA inspected wastewater disposal systems at the Hana Motor Vehicle and Licensing Office and the Hana Public Works Vehicle Maintenance Shop in Hana. The inspection revealed that both locations used cesspools meeting the regulatory definition of a large capacity cesspool.
The county subsequently disclosed to EPA that it had found five additional large capacity cesspools on properties it owned:
- Three servicing the Makawao Baseyard in Upcountry Maui
- One servicing the Maui Veterans Cemetery in Makawao
- One servicing the Molokai Veterans Cemetery in Molokai
EPA is authorized to issue compliance orders and assess penalties for violations of Safe Drinking Water Act regulations governing large capacity cesspools. A $193,247 penalty has been assessed for these violations.
For more information on this settlement agreement or to provide public comment, please visit the settlement website. The comment period will be open for 40 days from this notice.
Large Capacity Cesspools were federally banned in 2005. Since then, more than 3,862 cesspools have been closed in Hawai’i; however, hundreds remain operational. Groundwater provides 95 percent of all water supply for Hawai’i's islands.
To encourage voluntary discovery and closure of these pollution-causing systems by regulated entities, EPA offers penalty mitigation and other incentives for proactive compliance. Information on self-disclosing potential large capacity cesspool violations is available online.
For more information on reporting possible violations of environmental laws and regulations, visit EPA’s enforcement reporting website.
