Wastewater

• How do I know if I can connect to sewer?

  Complete a Request for Public Information form.

• Do I have to pay the sewer fee if a dwelling unit on the property is vacant?

  Yes, according to Section 21-31of the County Code, “Unoccupied units will be assessed a monthly maintenance fee equal to the current monthly sewer user fee.” However, if you remove your water meter with the Department of Water Supply, we will consider you as having no functional plumbing fixtures and will discontinue your sewer billing until the water is reconnected.

• Do I have to pay the sewer fee if there is no structure on the property?

  No, if the property is presently vacant and has no functional plumbing fixtures, sewer fees should not be assessed. When a change in use of the subject property occurs, connection will then be required, and sewer fees will be assessed.

• Who do I contact if I have billing questions?

  You may contact the Wastewater billing section by phone at 808-961-8338 during normal office hours, from 7:45 am till 4:30 pm, Monday thru Friday, or by email at wwdacctng@hawaiicounty.gov. In person, you may visit the Wastewater billing office at 345 Kekuanaoa St., Suite 41, Hilo. The office is closed on Holidays.

• Can I have the sewer bill forwarded to my tenant or other party?

  Yes, according to Section 21-32(c) of the County Code, “If requested by the owner, the department will bill a tenant or other individual designated (herein, referred to as the “designated person”) by the owner. Such request shall be in writing and signed by all parties involved, including all property owners and the designated person. The property owners and the designated person shall be jointly and severally liable for the entire sewer service charge without further notice of any delinquency to the property owners.” Therefore, if you wish to re-direct the bills, please submit a Sewer Billing Change Request Form (SBCRF). If a SBCRF is not received, we will begin billing the sewer user charges to the owner of the property.

• Who will be billed for the sewer service?

  According to Section 21-32(c) of the County Code, “Charges for sewer service shall be billed to the owner or owners of the lot, parcel of land, building or premises, (herein, referred to as the “property”) to which the services are provided.” Please notify us in writing of any changes you wish to make to your billing such as a change of address. You may also submit those changes on a Sewer Billing Change Request Form (SBCRF).

• Are there any exemptions for irrigation or other water usage that does not enter the sewer?

  Exemptions for irrigation water for agricultural or landscaping are no longer allowed. Customers seeking such exemptions should contact the Department of Water Supply to apply for a second water meter dedicated for this use.

  Requests for new exemptions based on other uses such as ice-making equipment, washdown facilities, swimming pools, or cooling towers will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Installation of an approved submeter to document the water not being drained to the sewer is required to be installed by the customer in order to qualify for this exemption. Forms to apply for this exemption are available from the Wastewater Division for nonresidential customers.

• Do we have to pay a user charge if we are not connected?

  Yes. According to Section 21-31 of the County Code, "Sewer user charges for residential customers shall be assessed to all lots accessible to a sewer whether connected or not". There is a similar provision for nonresidential customers. 

• Is there a connection charge?

  There is currently no sewer connection charge assessed by the County except for the cost of the plumbing permit. The plumbing permit application is available from the Department of Public Works.

• What happens if the property owner ignores the requirements and does not connect within the specified time?

  As long as the owner contacts the Wastewater Division in writing within 180 days with their concerns and plans, the County will make every effort to work with the owners and extend the period required to connect. If our connection notices are ignored however, the violator’s case will be referred to the Office of Corporation Counsel for legal action. According to Section 21-36 of the County Code,” any person convicted of violation of the provisions of the code, including the connection requirements, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $500. The continuance of any such violation after conviction shall be deemed a new offense for each day of such continuance.

• Can there be any extension to the 180-day requirement?

  Yes. Should the property owner feel that they need an extension of time for any reasonable situation, they must file a written request to the Director before the 180 days expires. The request must document the need for the extension and state the requested amount of time. The County wants to work with property owners to help them connect but retains the option to reject unjustifiable requests.

• What can we do if we cannot afford to connect to the sewer?

  The County Office of Housing and Community Development (OHCD) has available a Residential Repair Program for owner occupied property for owners who cannot afford to connect and meet the income requirements. For further information on this program, please contact OHCD at 808-959-4642.

• How do I go about connecting?

  A licensed contractor must make connection to the sewer lateral. We recommend getting quotes from at least 3 contractors prior to signing a contract for the work. A plumbing permit from the Department of Public Works (Building Division) is required prior to connection. In addition, a permit to perform work from the Wastewater Division is required and they should be notified 48 hours before connection in order to allow inspection. The County Code also requires backfilling of cesspools, septic tanks and seepage pits to be inspected by Department of Public Works plumbing inspectors. The backfill material may be earth, sand, gravel, concrete or other approved material. All connection expenses are the responsibility of the property owner.

• Are there any exemptions to the connection requirements?

  Under certain conditions, the Director of the Department of Environmental Management may grant a variance/exemption of the connection requirements to owners of single-family dwellings if there are special or unusual circumstances which would create an extreme physical or financial hardship. Please complete a Request for Exemption from Connection to Public Sewer Form.

• Who must connect to the sewer?

  According to Section 21-5(a) of the County Code, “Owners of all dwellings, buildings, or properties used for human occupancy, employment, recreation, or other purposes, which are accessible to a sewer are required at their expense to connect directly with the public sewer within one hundred eighty days after date of official notice.” A property is considered accessible to the sewer if a lateral is provided to the lot. If a property is below the level of the sewer main or has other construction problems, the owner shall install, operate and maintain a residential pumping station.