Big Island Mayor Says State Won’t Meet 2050 Deadline To Wipe Out Cesspools – Honolulu Civil Beat

Report on Hawaiʻi’s Wastewater Management Crisis and its Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

This report outlines the significant challenges facing the state of Hawaiʻi in meeting its legislative mandate to convert 83,000 cesspools by 2050. It examines the feasibility of this goal, its direct impact on multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the strategic responses being formulated by local government and community stakeholders on Hawaiʻi Island, which contains over half of the state’s cesspools.

Challenges to Achieving SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and SDG 14 (Life Below Water)

The state’s Act 125, mandating the conversion of all cesspools by 2050, is assessed as unrealistic by local leadership, including Big Island Mayor Kimo Alameda and reef expert Greg Asner. The primary obstacles represent significant barriers to achieving key SDG targets.

Legislative and Financial Barriers

• Unfunded Mandate: The law is characterized as an unfunded state mandate, placing immense financial pressure on local governments and residents, thereby hindering progress toward SDG 6.
• Prohibitive Costs: Conversion to a septic system costs homeowners between $25,000 and $45,000, with no dedicated fund to assist them. This economic barrier directly impedes the goal of universal access to adequate and equitable sanitation.
• Labor and Resource Deficits: A sufficient workforce of engineers and contractors to perform the conversions does not currently exist, posing a practical challenge to the implementation timeline and affecting SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).

Technical Inadequacy and Environmental Impact

The prescribed solution of converting to traditional septic tanks is considered insufficient by experts, as these systems also leach pollutants into the groundwater, failing to fully address the objectives of SDG 6 and SDG 14.

Direct Impacts on Key Sustainable Development Goals

The ongoing wastewater pollution crisis has severe and measurable consequences for Hawaiʻi’s environment, public health, and community sustainability.

SDG 14: Life Below Water

• An estimated 53 million gallons of sewage pollute Hawaiʻi’s coastal waters daily, with over 30 million gallons originating from the Big Island alone.
• This pollution is a primary driver of coral reef degradation. In the community of Puakō, coral coverage has plummeted from as high as 70% to as low as 5% over the last 50 years.
• The effluent directly imperils marine ecosystems, threatening the biodiversity that is critical to the state’s environmental and economic health.

SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

• Groundwater, a primary source of drinking water, is under threat. A 2014 study in Puna’s Hawaiian Paradise Park, an area with a high concentration of cesspools, found:
  1. Over 50% of drinking water wells contained total coliform bacteria.
  2. Nearly 25% tested positive for E. Coli.
• The city of Hilo is noted as the largest “unsewered” city in the nation, with up to 70% of households relying on cesspools, highlighting a critical gap in achieving Target 6.2 of the SDGs.

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

• Contaminated coastal waters expose swimmers and surfers to harmful bacteria.
• Hawaiʻi reports the highest rate of staph and MRSA infections in the United States, a public health crisis linked by experts to poor water quality.

Strategic Responses and Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships for the Goals (SDG 17)

In response to these challenges, the Alameda administration and community partners are pursuing a multi-pronged strategy focused on policy reform, scientific innovation, and targeted infrastructure development.

Policy Reform and Strategic Funding

• Mayor Alameda is advocating for a revision of Act 125 to create a more strategic, targeted approach rather than a blanket mandate.
• A proposal has been made to allocate revenue from the state’s new “green fee” on tourism to a fund that assists homeowners with conversion costs, directly linking economic activity with environmental remediation in line with SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).

Innovation and Data-Driven Prioritization (SDG 9)

• Research led by Greg Asner of Arizona State University utilizes high-tech airborne mapping to pinpoint the exact locations of the most severe sewage pollution along the coastline.
• A forthcoming study reveals that 42% of tested locations along the South Kona and South Kohala shorelines have elevated levels of Enterococcus bacteria.
• This data-driven approach allows for tactical interventions, ensuring that resources are directed to areas where they can most effectively protect marine ecosystems (SDG 14).

Community-Led Infrastructure Projects (SDG 11 & 17)

• Miloliʻi and Puakō: These communities are pioneering public-private partnerships to develop decentralized wastewater treatment systems.
• Community Facilities Districts: This funding model is being explored to allow communities to co-finance modern wastewater infrastructure, demonstrating a commitment to local solutions and sustainable community development.
• Hilo Wastewater Treatment Plant: The administration has signed a $337 million contract to upgrade Hilo’s dilapidated plant, a critical investment in resilient infrastructure (SDG 9) to mitigate pollution in Hilo Bay.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article discusses issues related to wastewater management, environmental pollution, public health, and infrastructure, which directly connect to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The primary SDGs addressed are:

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation: This is the most central SDG, as the article’s main focus is on the failure of existing sanitation systems (cesspools) and the resulting contamination of both drinking water and coastal waters. It details the challenges and plans for improving wastewater treatment.
• SDG 14: Life Below Water: The article explicitly links sewage pollution to the destruction of marine ecosystems. It states that the goal of converting cesspools is to curb pollution that is “destroying its coral reefs” and imperiling “fish, seaweed and other marine species.”
• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The health impacts of water pollution are a key concern. The article mentions that polluted water “exposes surfers and swimmers to unhealthy levels of bacteria” and links it to Hawaiʻi having the “highest rate of staph and MRSA infections in the entire country.” It also notes the contamination of drinking water wells with E. Coli.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: The challenge is framed within community and urban contexts, particularly the problem of Hilo being the “nation’s largest ‘unsewered’ city.” The article discusses the need for adequate wastewater infrastructure and management to create sustainable and safe living environments.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: The article highlights the importance of collaboration to solve the complex wastewater issue. It mentions partnerships between different levels of government (mayor and governor), public-private partnerships for community facilities, the role of nonprofits (Wastewater Alternatives & Innovations, Puakō For Reefs), and the involvement of academic experts and research institutions (Greg Asner from Arizona State University).

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the issues and proposed solutions in the article, several specific SDG targets can be identified:

1. Target 6.2: “By 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all…” The state mandate (Act 125) to convert 83,000 cesspools to more modern systems like septic tanks or decentralized treatment plants is a direct effort to achieve this target by improving sanitation infrastructure.
2. Target 6.3: “By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution… halving the proportion of untreated wastewater…” The article’s core theme is reducing the “53 million gallons of sewage pollution” that flow into the ocean daily. Efforts to upgrade the Hilo wastewater treatment plant and convert cesspools directly address the goal of reducing untreated wastewater.
3. Target 14.1: “By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities…” The sewage from cesspools is a clear example of land-based pollution affecting the marine environment. The entire initiative described in the article is aimed at mitigating this form of pollution to protect coastal waters.
4. Target 14.2: “By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts…” The article highlights the severe degradation of coral reefs, with coverage in Puakō dropping from 70% to 5%. The efforts to stop sewage flow are aimed at protecting and restoring these vital coastal ecosystems.
5. Target 3.9: “By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from… water… pollution and contamination.” The article connects water pollution to specific health risks, such as high rates of staph and MRSA infections and the presence of E. Coli in drinking water. Addressing the pollution source is a direct action towards this target.
6. Target 11.6: “By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to… municipal and other waste management.” The focus on Hilo as an “unsewered” city and the $337 million contract to fix its dilapidated wastewater treatment plant are direct actions to improve municipal waste management and reduce the city’s environmental impact.
7. Target 17.17: “Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships…” The article provides multiple examples of such partnerships in action, including the mayor convening a task force of experts, the County Council working with nonprofits on community facility projects, and community groups raising funds and working with officials to implement solutions.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the article contains several quantitative and qualitative indicators that can be used to measure the scale of the problem and track progress:

• Indicator for Target 6.2 & 6.3: The number of cesspools needing conversion (83,000 statewide) serves as a baseline indicator. Progress can be measured by the number of cesspools successfully converted over time.
• Indicator for Target 6.3: The volume of untreated sewage entering the environment (“53 million gallons of sewage pollution… every day”) is a key indicator of water quality. A reduction in this volume would signify progress.
• Indicator for Target 3.9 & 6.1: The prevalence of fecal indicator bacteria in water sources. The article cites a study finding “just over half [of wells] contained total coliform… and nearly a quarter tested positive for E. Coli.” Another study found “42% of tested locations had elevated levels of Enterococcus bacteria.” Monitoring these percentages over time would indicate changes in water safety.
• Indicator for Target 14.2: The health of marine ecosystems, measured by coral coverage. The article notes a decline in Puakō reef coverage “from as much as 70% to as little as 5%.” An increase in coral coverage would be a powerful indicator of ecosystem restoration and successful pollution mitigation.
• Indicator for Target 11.6: The operational status and compliance of municipal wastewater facilities. The Hilo plant being considered “one of the worst in the nation” by the EPA is a qualitative indicator of poor infrastructure. Successful completion of the $337 million upgrade and elimination of accidental discharges would be a measure of progress.
• Indicator for Target 3.9: Public health statistics, such as the incidence rate of water-related infections. The article mentions Hawaiʻi has the “highest rate of staph and MRSA infections in the entire country.” A reduction in these rates could be correlated with improved water quality.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: civilbeat.org