Why we're rethinking wastewater

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In Hawaiʻi cesspool pollution is a problem, mandatory upgrades are unaffordable, and traditional septic systems are unreliable.

Over the last five years, WaiHome has developed a suite of aboveground technologies to better provide Hawai‘i's communities with affordable wastewater systems.

News

Updates from in and out of the yurt!

Representative Ilagan says Mata is the technology he's most excited about. Built Here: Hawaii Innovation Showcase at the Capitol

3rd Party Water + Odor Testing Complete! The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa has finished conducting an evaulation of Mata's performance.

Report Title Page: Design Response to Hawai‘i Constraints

Report | Where Mata Excels - and Where Conventional Systems Fall Short

Water Infrastructure designed in Hawai'i for Hawai'i.

WaiHome was founded in 2021 on the Island of Oahu from a simple realization: wastewater “solutions” in Hawai‛i were failing. Cesspools remain massive polluters, and septic upgrades are financially unfeasible. Instead of catching up to the mainland; let's lead with solutions designed for the Islands. Here are a few critical reasons change can't come soon enough.

| Location

Nearly 35% of homes still rely on cesspools, many located in flood-prone or high groundwater zones. This means that 53 million gallons of untreated sewage enters our ground and coasts every day.

| Regulatory Pressure

New cesspools have been banned statewide. By 2050, 84,000 existing cesspools must be upgraded or replaced. Without affordable solutions, this deadline is impossible.

| Insufficient Choices

In coastal regions, septic systems and ATU’s frequently fail due to high groundwater tables. They’re unaffordable because of excavation. They’re unrealistic because of the large land areas they require.

| Cost of Excavation

“Approximately 97% of all residents with cesspools… would be financially burdened by the cost to convert.” -DOH. Septic systems cost between $30,000-$60,000.