Two advocates committed to protecting Hawaii’s waters and coral reefs have launched a new nonprofit to help rid the state of cesspools that pose a threat to public health and the marine environment.

“It’s going to take a lot of work and coordination,” said Stuart Coleman, executive director of Wastewater Alternatives and Innovations.

Coleman teamed up with John Anner of the Coral Reef Alliance to start the new organization in an effort to help the state address sewage pollution by finding solutions to convert cesspools to effective treatment systems.

Officials say cesspools release approximately 53 million gallons of raw sewage into the groundwater per day.

There are approximately 88,000 cesspools across the state.

Sina Pruder, chief of the Hawaii Department of Health’s Wastewater Branch, said areas that are considered high priority are properties near the coastline, where the depth to ground water is shallow and lacks soil.

More than half of the cesspools are on Hawaii island. Pruder said most areas on the island have fractured rock.

“When you don’t have soils in areas like that, wastewater actually enters groundwater much faster without soil.”

Other high priority areas are Kahaluu, Upcountry Maui and Kapaa, Wailua, Poipu and Koloa on Kauai.

According to Pruder, “cesspools concentrate the wastewater in one location, often deep within the ground and in direct contact with groundwater, causing groundwater contamination.

“The groundwater flows into drinking water wells, streams and the ocean, harming public health and the environment, including beaches and coral reefs,” she added.

Approximately 90% of Hawaii’s drinking water comes from groundwater.

Untreated wastewater from cesspools contains pathogens that can cause gastroenteritis, hepatitis A, conjunctivitis, leptospirosis, salmonella and cholera.

While Oahu, Kauai and most of Maui banned the construction of cesspools in 1991, the Big Island continued to build cesspools until a statewide ban took effect in 2016.

Coleman, 54, an avid surfer, left his position as Hawaii manager of the Surfrider Foundation in January after a decade to devote his efforts to assist the state and homeowners with the cesspool conversion process.

“I think people recognize this is an important issue and we’re one of the only organizations that’s dedicated to it exclusively in helping to solve the problem,” he said.

Coleman, of Diamond Head, was first alerted to the state’s sewage pollution problem when the city diverted 48 million gallons of raw sewage into the Ala Wai Canal when a sewage line ruptured. The massive spill forced the city to temporarily close beaches in Waikiki.

Coleman said the Surfrider Foundation helped with the passage of the 2016 statewide cesspool ban as well as legislation to provide tax credits to assist homeowners with cesspool upgrades.

“The bottom line is our state depends on tourism and we just can’t afford to have dirty water because it affects our health, our environment and our basic economy,” Coleman said.

He also serves as a member of the state’s cesspool conversion working group tasked to develop a long-range comprehensive plan to replace all cesspools of any size in the state by 2050.

The 2050 deadline was set in place by lawmakers a year after the statewide cesspool ban went into effect.

Protecting the marine environment is crucial to Anner, 59, managing director of Wastewater Alternatives and Innovations and a free diver and scuba diver who frequents the waters off the Big Island.

In years past, he operated an international nonprofit group that came up with solutions to address wastewater issues in Southeast Asian countries.

State officials say the cost of cesspool upgrades can range from $20,000 to $30,000.

Pruder, who is also a member of the cesspool conversion working group, said they have contracted with Carollo Engineers Inc. to explore emerging technologies to replace cesspools as well as options to assist homeowners with the hefty cesspool conversion costs.

She noted advanced wastewater systems such as nitrogen removal aerobic treatment units are ideal for homeowners who live in areas where elevated nitrate levels are detected in the drinking water, groundwater and surface water.

High nitrates in drinking water could potentially cause blue baby syndrome — a decrease of hemoglobin in the blood to carry oxygen around the body.

To help the state reach its 2050 deadline, several bills have been introduced in the current legislative session, including House Bill 1859, which would establish a three-year pilot project to demonstrate new sewage treatment technologies; and House Bill 2151, which would initiate a pilot grant project to assist low-to-moderate income property owners with cesspool upgrade or conversion costs.

Anner, who splits his time between New York and Hawaii, said, “The goal is to get rid of all the cesspools. There’s no one solution that will work for everybody.”

Community members in Puako on Hawaii island, for example, are working to construct a mini-sewage system.

Coleman said, “We have to be creative. We have to think outside the box to find unique solutions for individual homeowners and communities because it’s a complex problem.”

To learn more about Wastewater Alternatives and Innovations’ organization, visit waicleanwater.org.