Water resources
Sewage in the seas
by Natasha VizcarraIt’s easy to get lost in the weeds finding out how to empty that portable 5-gallon toilet at the back of the boat. A simple Google search turns up a messy list of how-to videos, along with state ...
How Clean is Clean?
by Lurline Wailana McGregorBefore the Clean Water Act of 1972 became law, most of the agricultural wastewater and sewage from the Kaʻanapali coast on Maui, Hawai‘i was treated to remove only solids before being piped out into the ocean. After ...
Transforming the Ala Wai
by Josh McDanielFew of the millions of tourists who flock to the sparkling beaches of Waikīkī are aware that the area was once a vast estuary fed by three streams, Makiki, Mānoa, and Pālolo, which plunged from the steep slopes ...
Making #2 a #1 Priority
by Kate FurbyStuart Coleman loves potty humor. But unlike the rest of us, he has a work excuse. And while not all of his puns are suitable for print journalism, suffice it to say that he approaches his work on ...
Tackling Cesspool Conversion from Long Island to the Hawaiian Islands
by Shannon KelleherAs Hawai‘i prepares to carry out a massive overhaul of its numerous cesspools by 2050, the state finds itself in a quandary — waste treatment is expensive, and homeowners’ pockets only run so deep. “This is one of ...
Wanted: Wastewater Wins
by Robin Donovan“It’s not a million-dollar question; it’s a billion-dollar question,” says Sina Pruder of Hawaiʻi’s cesspool conversion challenge. As an engineering program manager for the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Health’s (DOH) wastewater branch, Pruder has faced a daunting ...
Ka Pili Kai Ho‘oilo 2022
Click on the cover image to view the full issue. On the Cover Magazine covers are meant to inspire the reader to pause and reflect on the transformative potential of an issue’s contents. Through what they bring into focus, they offer a scaffold ...
Hawai‘i Cesspool Hazard Assessment & Prioritization Tool
Hawai‘i Cesspool Prioritization Tool The Hawai‘i Cesspool Prioritization Tool (HCPT) is a map-based tool that displays the prioritization level for each of Hawai‘i's 83,000+ cesspools. Per Act 125 Session Laws of Hawai‘i (2017), all cesspool owners are required to upgrade, ...
Bacteroides: The clingy bacteria that mammals just can’t shake
by Nicolas VanderzylEvery parent knows the feeling: sneaking away to the restroom, yearning for a few minutes to yourself, only to be interrupted in seconds by light knocks and fifty questions. But alas, even if you aren’t a parent, you ...
Picking apart “dirty” groundwater sources
by Casey McKenzieWhen discussing contamination of water resources, our minds likely first jump to imagining polluted creeks and lakes, or rivers that lead to the ocean. We typically picture in our minds the bodies of water that are visible to ...
