News Release – DOH Issues Guidance for Existing Cesspool Use in Residential Kula

STATE OF HAWAIʻI
KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
KA ʻOIHANA OLAKINO

JOSH GREEN, M.D.
GOVERNOR
KE KIA‘ĀINA

KENNETH S. FINK, M.D., MGA, MPH
DIRECTOR
KA LUNA HO‘OKELE

DOH ISSUES GUIDANCE FOR EXISTING CESSPOOL USE IN RESIDENTIAL KULA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 12, 2024                                                                                                    24-143

HONOLULU — The Hawaiʻi Department of Health (DOH) is issuing Guidance for Existing Cesspool Use in Residential Kula, Maui. It was developed in an effort to support Kula residents affected by the wildfires, working to rebuild and reoccupy their homes.

This guidance follows a similar framework as the guidance for the Wahikuli Houselots Subdivision in Lahaina, but with significant differences due to the fact that neither the County of Maui nor private wastewater collection systems have plans for building wastewater treatment works for the Kula area.

The significant differences are:

• Cesspools must have a lining that is certified to be structurally sound by a Hawaiʻi licensed civil engineer.
• The rebuilt dwelling’s quantity of bedrooms may not exceed the quantity of bedrooms of the previous dwelling on the County of Maui record.
• The rebuilt dwelling may not have more than five bedrooms, even if the previous dwelling had more than five bedrooms, in accordance with Hawai‘i Administrative Rules, Chapter 11-62.

The County of Maui has been coordinating with the DOH in the development and implementation of this guidance, which allows wildfire-impacted homeowners to rebuild and reoccupy homes while ensuring the integrity of existing cesspools and without creating new cesspools.

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Media Contact:

Kristen Wong

Information Specialist

Hawaiʻi State Department of Health

Phone: 808-586-4407

Email: [email protected]