What sort of Wastewater System do I have?
Step 1: Is my building serviced by a county sewer system or an Onsite Wastewater System?
If you:
- pay a sewer bill or
- have a sewer charge on your water bill
then you are serviced by a county or private sewer system. If you are still unsure, please call your county’s relevant department to check if your property is serviced. Additionally, some counties do release limited info about their sewer systems in the form of interactive maps:
- City and County of Honolulu
- County of Maui
- County of Hawaii
- County of Kauai
If you are NOT serviced by a county or private sewer system, then you have a wastewater treatment system on your property. Please continue to Step 2 to determine the type of Onsite Wastewater System that you have.
Step 2: What sort of Onsite Wastewater System do I have?
Onsite Wastewater Systems can be broken down into three categories: Cesspools, Individual Wastewater Systems (IWS), and small Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW). IWS typically includes cesspools, but they are treated as distinct for the purposes of this article.
Take some time to walk around your property, Cesspools will typically only have one visible cover that is located somewhere between the building and the property lines. However, sometimes dirt or plants may have covered it overtime, which will make it difficult to find without the proper equipment. If you would like to check if we have a cesspool card for your property please feel free to call our main office for more information. Be ready to provide your Tax Map Key (TMK) before calling.
If you believe you have an Onsite Wastewater System that is not a cesspool, please continue to Step 3.
Step 3: How do I find out more information about my Onsite Wastewater System?
Onsite Wastewater Systems encompass a wide variety of wastewater treatment systems. Common IWS include Septic tanks and aerobic treatment units, and small WWTW are often used to service apartments, or condos.
If you want to check which of these systems you have, please feel free to call our main office for more information. Be ready to provide your Tax Map Key (TMK) before calling.