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Cesspool owners can apply for grant March 15

Applications will soon be available for a pilot cesspool grant program to assist qualified property owners with upgrading or converting their cesspools or connecting to an available sewage system, the state Department of Health has announced.

A state law enacted in 2017 mandates that all cesspools be upgraded by the year 2050 to comply with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requirements. DOH recognizes that the requirement to upgrade or convert a cesspool imposes a financial burden on low and moderate income families.

The purpose of the grant program is to assist such property owners, including lessees on Hawaiian Home Lands. Each grant recipient can receive up to $20,000 in reimbursements for their cesspool conversion or connection costs.

To qualify, cesspools must be in a priority level 1 or 2 area, as identified by the University of Hawaii’s cesspool hazard assessment and prioritization tool.

The tool can be accessed at https://seagrant.soest.hawaii.edu/cesspools-tool/.

In addition, the applicant’s income shall not exceed 140 percent of the area median income as determined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Grant awards will be on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to funding availability.

Applications will be available March 15.

For more information about the cesspool grant program, see https://health.hawaii.gov/wastewater/home/ccpgp/ or call (808) 586-4294.

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