Societal Impact Mapping

Environmental Degradation

A large capacity cesspool is a gaping wound in the earth. It is an unlined pit that receives raw sewage and allows it to percolate directly into the subsurface soil. In the unique geology of Hawaii, characterized by porous volcanic rock and fractured lava tubes, this is a catastrophic design. There is no slow, natural filtering process. Instead, contaminants like nitrates, phosphates, viruses, bacteria, and chemicals from cleaning products are given a direct, high-speed pathway into the island’s groundwater aquifers.

These aquifers are not just underground rivers; they are the sole source of drinking water for many communities and the lifeblood of the island’s ecosystems. When untreated waste enters this system, it can spread over vast areas, remaining a threat for years. The nitrates in human waste trigger algal blooms in any surface water the contaminated groundwater feeds, like streams or coastal areas. These blooms starve the water of oxygen, killing fish and devastating fragile marine ecosystems, including Hawaii’s already-threatened coral reefs. For 19 years, the facility at 1035 Makawao Avenue was a point source of this degradation, contributing to the slow poisoning of a precious and finite resource.

Public Health

The operation of this illegal cesspool was a direct threat to the health of the people of Makawao. The injection of human waste into the ground introduces a host of dangerous pathogens into the water supply. Bacteria like E. coli and Salmonella, viruses like norovirus and hepatitis A, and parasites like Giardia can all travel through the groundwater and contaminate drinking wells. Ingesting this contaminated water can cause severe gastrointestinal illness, and for vulnerable populations like children, the elderly, or the immunocompromised, such infections can be life-threatening.

Beyond acute illness, the long-term chemical threat is significant. Nitrates, a primary component of sewage, are a serious health risk, especially for infants. High nitrate levels in drinking water can lead to methemoglobinemia, or “blue baby syndrome,” a condition that reduces the blood’s ability to carry oxygen. For two decades, Konohiki Corp. subjected the surrounding community to these risks without their knowledge or consent. The $44,000 settlement includes no provision for public health monitoring or widespread water testing to determine the extent of the damage done.

Economic Inequality

This is a textbook case of a corporation externalizing its costs onto the public to protect its bottom line. The Safe Drinking Water Act created a clear, non-negotiable cost of doing business: the safe disposal of wastewater. Konohiki Corp. chose to evade this cost for 19 years. The money they saved by not installing a legally compliant septic system or connecting to a municipal sewer line is profit that was, in effect, stolen from the community’s environmental health and safety.

Now, the public bears the true cost. The financial burden of cleaning up a contaminated aquifer, should it be necessary, is astronomical and would fall upon taxpayers. The cost of increased water filtration at municipal or private wells falls on the users. The cost of healthcare for those who may fall ill from contaminated water is borne by individuals and the public health system. The $44,000 fine paid by Konohiki Corp. is a pittance that does not begin to cover the potential cleanup costs, the public health risks, or the devaluation of a shared natural resource. It is a subsidy for pollution, paid for by the working people of Hawaii.