"cesspool"? (Kailua: low income, apartment complex, rentals)

[Sweetbeet]

I tried the search function, to no avail. Could someone please tell me the difference between a "cesspool", a septic tank, and a septic system? We don't have "cesspools" here in NY (unless you count NYC!), but I guess the house we're buying on Kauai has one. Do they have to be pumped regularly like our septic tanks?

Here, it is routine for the system to be inspected prior to closing, I think the health department even requires it. It might also have to be pumped out. But it seems like in Hawaii getting a septic inspection is rare (I saw one reference to how expensive it is, as a possible reason), and no one seems to know much about getting them pumped out regularly either. I have read on other forums that in some parts of the country regular pumping isn't necessary, maybe that's true in HI also?

When we moved up to NY from MD, everyone thought we were wacko because we kept asking about termite inspection - then we found out that there are no termites here, it's too cold! So I'm wondering if people are now thinking we're wacko again because we are wondering so much about a cesspool in HI...

[HankDfrmSD]

Originally Posted by Sweetbeet

I tried the search function, to no avail. Could someone please tell me the difference between a "cesspool", a septic tank, and a septic system? We don't have "cesspools" here in NY (unless you count NYC!), but I guess the house we're buying on Kauai has one. Do they have to be pumped regularly like our septic tanks?

Wiki definition of a cesspool:
Cesspit - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wiki definition of a septic tank and septic system:
Septic tank - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

My summary of the above is that a cesspool has to be pumped regularly (Maybe weekly) and does not treat the sewage in it, while a septic system treats sewage continuously, and may never have to be pumped.

In Hawaii, there were many cesspools constructed years ago. They can no longer be constructed here, and the old ones are being removed, sometimes after much bru-ha-ha. I think the state and city are under the gun to remove many that were put in at public parks and beaches. I think the Federal Government had to get involved to get local officials moving. There is an apartment complex in Kailua that has been on notice to remove its cesspool for years, and the only thing that is getting it done is that the complex was leasehold, the lease is running out, and the land owner is going to take the property back and sell it for new condos. The condo construction is going to remove the cesspool and hook the new buildings up to the city sewer system. Some very unhappy long term residents are being forced to move.

Alot of what I have written above is "talk story" stuff, but the bottom line for me would be that I would NEVER purchase a piece of property with a cesspool on it in Hawaii.

Hank

[kani-lehua]

i believe that kaneohe ranch and the condo still have a lawsuit going on and that the lease has already run out. the epa got involved with the surrounding areas. many low income families were evicted with no place to go as rentals are very hard to come by in kailua. the owners of the leasehold condo were offered several thousad dollars to aid them in moving, but most refused. they tried to buy the land to no avail and will more than likely be forced to move.

[leilaniguy]

My home has a cesspool, it's just a hole blasted in the rock 6' across and 10' deep, with a concrete cover. It has never been pumped in 25 years, has never backed up. They are still permitted by the county in Puna on lots 1 acre and larger but are banned on lots under 1 acre and commercial, government, and multifamily sites.

[cynmkolohe]

Cesspools in Hawaii | Region 9: Water | EPA

Here is a link for more information.

Please note the difference between "large capacity cesspools" and a cesspool on a lot with a single family home.

There are many properties in "rural" Hawaii with cesspools--especially on the neighbor islands.

[Sweetbeet]

Thanks, I'm learning. But after checking out the sites noted here (wiki and the 'cesspools in hawaii' one), I'm still confused. A "septic tank" is a large tank where waste accumulates, the liquids drain out into the soil (may be directly or via a 'leach field' or the like), and the solids are slowly anaerobically decomposed so they too become liquid and enter the ground.

Theoretically, a cesspool is a pit of some type where waste accumulates, and the liquids drain away into the soil. But why doesn't the solid waste (which would also tend to accumulate in the bottom of the cesspool or cesspit) also break down, by the same biological processes as in a 'septic tank'? I guess I don't see the difference between a "tank" and a "pool", inasmuch as even the typical "cesspool" is a large concrete tank. ??? Is the only difference whether or not there is a leach field? Or whether the tank is chambered, to allow for multi-stage decomposition?

[leilaniguy]

The big difference between the two is a cesspool just drains the sewage away untreated. A septic tank holds the sewage long enough for anerobic bacteria to "brew" and break down the solids so the water leaving the tank is somewhat cleaner than when it entered. Some things like grease and hair do not break down and eventually fill and clog the tank. That is why septic tanks have to be pumped out every few years.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

We have a cesspool at our house in Discovery Harbour on the Big Island, on 1/3 of an acre. When we built the house in 2005, we had to submit a drawing created by an engineer, showing the design and construction of it. Basically, like Leilaniguy said, it's a hole in the ground. The hole is about 6' in diameter and 10' deep (I don't remember exactly how deep ours is), with a concrete liner going down maybe 5' or 6' and a concrete lid. Unlike a septic tank that is actually a tank in the ground, this is just a bottomless hole. Therefore, there is no need to pump it out.

We are in a rural area, in a subdivision of over 800 lots, and they are all on individual cesspools. I understand that the "community cesspools" serving multiple lots, are now against the law, but they are still approving individual ones. Maybe it depends on your location.

[Jungjohann]

Jeez, Leilaniguy, did you have to use the term "brew" in your description? Septic tanks and cesspools were very common on Maui when I moved here, especially down at Makenna, reason, no main sewer line.

Aloha an okolemaluna

[kani-lehua]

some guy died last year after falling into a cesspool on o'ahu. the cesspools in a subdivision were being closed so as to connect to the city sewer lines. was it from the "brew" or was it from it collapsing on him? i don't recall.