On the islands of Hawaii, there are three basic methods for dealing with household sewage disposal. The first and perhaps the easiest is to have the home connected to a municipal sewage system. The second is to have the property connected to a septic system. This is usually done for rural locations where no municipal sewage connections are available. The final option is a cesspit or cesspool. This is simply a large pit in the ground which works roughly like the septic system. However, cesspools are not available on new construction or homes built after nineteen hundred and ninety-three. The reason for this is that cesspools aren’t very reliable for sewage control. They typically need Cesspool Maintenance in Hawaii more often than a septic system and leach waste into the soil.
Surprisingly, you can find cesspools on a variety of properties because they were the easiest option available for sewage control. However, it has since been learned that poor cesspool management could result in groundwater contamination and the transmission of various diseases. You can avoid most of these problems by having the cesspool serviced once a year. Keep in mind that if your cesspool needs cleaning at least twice in a one year period it is considered a failure by the State Department of Health in Hawaii and should be replaced. When this happens, you will need to install a septic system. This can be an expensive job which is why regular maintenance is so crucial.
The difference between the cesspool and the septic system is in the way they handle waste water. The cesspool leaches waste water directly into the soil while the septic system channels the liquid waste through a series of leach pipes. This allows the water to filter back into the soil over a larger area which results in better filtration through the soil. Most cesspools are buried just like the septic system. They can consist of earthen walls or stacked blocks or bricks. The cesspool is typically covered with a concrete top and has a small access hole for servicing. Easy access makes cesspool maintenance in Hawaii much simpler provided that the cesspool is reachable. Unfortunately, you may need to dig a little to uncover the pit before the contractor can clean it out.