The Environmental Protection Agency has announced a proposed settlement with Maui County to close seven cesspools on Maui and Molokaʻi.
Under the proposed terms, the county will close the cesspools by June 30. Maui County will also pay a penalty of over $193,000 for violating the Safe Drinking Water Act.
The EPA inspected a wastewater disposal system in Hāna two years ago and found they used what the federal government defines as a large-capacity cesspool. The county then disclosed that it found four more large-capacity cesspools on Maui, and one on Molokaʻi.
“EPA is committed to protecting Hawaiʻi'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, in a press release. “These actions taken by Maui County, as a large landowner, will ensure cleaner groundwater, surface water and beaches.”
Large-capacity cesspools have been federally banned since 2005.
The settlement agreement is open for public comment and can be found here.
