Submitted Ideas

Stop wastewater pollution from cesspools in Hawaii

Every single day, millions of gallons of untreated sewage from cesspools dumps into the beautiful waters of Hawaii. This causes severe damage to the marine environment from nutrient loading on coral reefs, the spread of bacteria, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, and other types of pollution. The state has made a policy to eliminate all cesspools by 2050, but is very far from achieving that goal. Our nonprofit, Wastewater Alternatives and Innovations, is bringing new ideas and new technologies that can solve the problem -- and not only in Hawaii. All around the world, from Long Island in New York to Fiji, cesspools are a major sources of marine pollution.