The Hawaiʻi Onsite Wastewater Technology Evaluation Program, or HOWTEP, was officially introduced Aug. 26 during the Wastewater Innovation Tech Showcase at the Wahiawā Wastewater Treatment Plant on Oʻahu. The three-year program is operated by the University of Hawaiʻi Water Resources Research Center and will evaluate emerging onsite wastewater technologies and provide reports to the Hawaiʻi Department of Health to support its certification and approval process.

The program is intended to help accelerate the development and deployment of decentralized treatment options as property owners work to comply with Act 125, which requires cesspools statewide to be replaced, converted or closed by Jan. 1, 2050.

The first technology being evaluated through HOWTEP is Honu Hub, a compact, above-ground decentralized wastewater treatment system supported by a $5 million National Science Foundation grant. The 52-square-foot system is designed to reduce the excavation and construction costs associated with conventional onsite treatment systems.

Researchers said the program will also support technology research and development, student training and community outreach while evaluating how emerging contaminants move through new wastewater treatment systems.