Hawai‘i Cesspool Hazard Assessment & Prioritization Tool

Hawai‘i Cesspool Prioritization Tool

Overview

The Hawai‘i Cesspool Prioritization Tool (HCPT) is a map-based tool that displays the prioritization level for each of Hawai‘i’s 88,000+ cesspools. Per Act 125 Session Laws of Hawai‘i (2017), all cesspool owners are required to upgrade, convert, or connect to sewer before 2050. While all cesspools degrade water quality, some have particularly acute and hazardous impacts on human and ecosystem health because of their geographic location.

Based on the best available statewide data and expert input, cesspools across the islands have been classified in three categories of priority for their conversion. Each cesspool’s priority ranking represents the urgency of their replacement prior to 2050.

LAUNCH THE HAWAI‘I CESSPOOL PRIORITIZATION TOOL (HCPT)

How to Use the HCPT

1) Click the link above to launch the results application

2) Zoom in and out using the ‘+’ and ‘-‘ buttons at the top left of your screen to see individual cesspools and their census tract areas color coded by priority

3) Use the search bar to find the priority designation of any address

4) Check out the video above to learn more about the tool’s functionality

What are the Priority Areas?

Screenshot-Hawai‘i Cesspool Prioritization Tool

The HCPT prioritization method places each geographic area into three prioritization categories:

Priority Level 1: These cesspools have the greatest potential to impact human health and the environment and are directly adjacent sensitive natural resources like coral reefs or drinking water aquifers (map color red).

Priority Level 2: These cesspools rank behind Priority 1, but still pose a significant hazard to human health and the environment. Priority 2 cesspools may be close to sensitive natural resources like steams or drinking water aquifers (map color yellow).

Priority Level 3: These cesspools still have an impact on human health and the environment but may be further away from sensitive natural resources or areas that my directly impact human health (map color orange).

FIND YOUR PRIORITY DESIGNATION

Hawai‘i Cesspool Prioritization Tool: Input Data

The HCPT’s Priority Areas were determined through a data-driven process. Fifteen statewide data layers with relevance to cesspool hazards were overlain with cesspool locations in a code-based geospatial tool. With expert input, these risk factors were weighed according to the significance of their environmental and human health impacts. These risk factors can be explored in the HCPT companion tool, the ‘Input Data App‘.

The tool creation process and methodology is detailed in the report, ‘Hawai‘i Cesspool Hazard Assessment & Prioritization Tool: Updated Report & Technical Appendices’ (2022).