Basedin Hawaii, WaiHome is a wastewater research and design firm addressing the challange of making cesspool replacement more affordable for Hawaiian homeowners. It is estimated that in Hawaii some 88,000 cesspools aew still in operation - a stockpile of outdated systems that is polluting the groundwater and contributing to the degradation of coastal ecosystems. The State of Hawaii has mandated that all cesspools must be converted by 2050. However, average cost of an upgrade to the current onsite treatment standard is far higher than mosy people can afford. Further, septic tanks have a well documented history of failure in Hawaii, where high groundwater levels, steep slopes, and small lot sizes limit system effectiveness. WaiHome is structured around development of an alternative treatment system called a Passive Aerobic Treatment Unit or PATU. The PATU is a solar panel that uses algae to passively aerate and remove nutrients from wastewater. Principals of the firm are developing a technology that uses natural systems to provide compact, high quality treatment at a significantly lowercost.
