Residential Cesspool Conversion Grant Program

The Residential Cesspool Conversion Grant Program is a Kauai County program intended to help qualified homeowners replace existing cesspools with individual wastewater systems approved by the Hawaii State Department of Health Wastewater Branch. The program will make 50 grants available, with reimbursement of up to $20,000 for each selected property. The application period opens September 8, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. and closes October 6, 2026, at 4:30 p.m. Once the initial 50 applicants are selected, remaining applicants will be placed on a waitlist and may receive funding if an initial awardee elects not to accept the available funding. Applicants from the initial Residential Cesspool Conversion Program who were not ultimately selected from its waitlist, as well as recipients who did not complete that program by its deadline, must reapply for Program 2. Grant funding reimburses the cost of upgrading an existing cesspool to an individual wastewater system approved by the Hawaii State Department of Health Wastewater Branch. Eligible work must be completed by a licensed engineer and a licensed contractor holding an A, C-37, C-37a, or C-43 license. An individual wastewater system must be installed and receive approval to use from the Hawaii State Director of Health before the $20,000 reimbursement is issued. Cesspools already upgraded or converted to an individual wastewater system with an Approval-To-Use date before May 1, 2026, are not eligible for reimbursement. A W-9 Request for Taxpayer Identification is required before reimbursement, and program funds are considered taxable income. Duplicate funding for the same property is prohibited. Applicants who participated in the State of Hawaii Department of Health Wastewater Branch Cesspool Conversion Program or received or are scheduled to receive State or County funding through a prior Kauai Residential Cesspool Conversion program are ineligible. The program is available to qualified homeowners in Kauai County, and an owner of more than one property may apply for only one property. Applications are evaluated under priorities established in County Ordinance 1104. Priorities include properties outside the visitor destination area with an existing building permit application for an Additional Dwelling Unit, Additional Rental Unit, or Guest House; properties in designated Priority Upgrade Areas, with Priority Levels 1 and 2 receiving preference; households earning no more than 120 percent of Median Household Income under the specified U.S. Census Bureau data; properties receiving a Homeowner's exemption; properties with an eligible Residential real property tax classification; properties outside the County's sewer expansion area; and properties with a failing cesspool. A failing cesspool is defined as one requiring pumping at least monthly or having spilled more than once in a year. Applicants may apply whether they meet all, some, or none of the listed priorities. If funds remain after priority applicants are selected, applicants who do not meet the priorities may be considered on a first-come, first-served basis. Applicants must provide supporting information applicable to their circumstances. Required materials include the most recent federal tax return for all income-earning household members and, where applicable, an existing building permit application number for an Additional Rental Unit, Additional Dwelling Unit, or Guest House. Documentation concerning a failing cesspool may include a certification letter from a licensed Hawaii civil engineer or invoices and receipts confirming cesspool pumping or spills. Proof of legal representation is required when someone other than the homeowner applies. The County recommends online submission for efficiency and ease, while hard-copy applications are also available at the Housing Agency office at 4444 Rice Street, Suite 330, Lihue, Hawaii 96766. Applications will be reviewed using a priority preference point system, and the submission date of a complete application will also be considered in determining priority for the available funding. Selected applicants will receive a Residential Cesspool Conversion Grant Program Agreement establishing property eligibility and reimbursement requirements. After the Grant Agreement is executed, recipients must meet milestone deadlines to retain their funding. Required completion documentation includes design plans prepared by a licensed engineer and approved by the Director of Health in compliance with Hawaii Administrative Rules chapter 11-62; the engineer's final construction inspection report with photographs, as-builts, and certification; an approval-to-use letter issued by the Director of Health; receipts for engineering design costs and permitting fees; and receipts for construction or material costs paid to a properly licensed contractor. The application window closes October 6, 2026, at 4:30 p.m. The source does not provide an award notification date, a fixed project performance period, or a recurring future application cycle. The County will contact applicants after verification of application information is completed. Questions may be directed to the Kauai County Housing Agency at housing@kauai.gov or (808) 241-4444. Applicants should ensure that engineers and contractors hold the required licenses and should pay particular attention to the priority criteria and completeness of their submission because both the priority preference point system and the submitted date of a complete application affect selection.

Submit a complete application as early as practical because the submitted date of a complete application is part of the funding priority determination. Document every applicable priority criterion. Properties in Priority Levels 1 and 2 receive priority preference. Verify that the engineer and contractor hold the required licenses and that the contractor holds an A, C-37, C-37a, or C-43 license. Ensure the IWS receives Director of Health approval to use before seeking reimbursement.