Rising sea levels and king tide flooding in coastal areas across america are saturating onsite wastewater disposal systems (OSDS), resulting in the degrading of coastal ecosystems and 200,000+…

Rising sea levels and king tide flooding in coastal areas across america are saturating onsite wastewater disposal systems (OSDS), resulting in the degrading of coastal ecosystems and 200,000+ illnesses annually. Many states are mandating system upgrades, with 88,000 upgrades required by 2050 in hawaii alone. Unfortunately, existing upgrade options are unaffordable for 97% of hawaiian homeowners and offer poor performance for coastal properties with high groundwater levels. In response to this pressing issue that will cost hawaiian homeowners an estimated $1.75B between now and 2050, waihome, LLC is developing an aboveground and affordable wastewater disposal system for coastal households adapting to sea level rise. Under this phase II sbir project, waihome will test the comparative performance of its rail proof-of-concept prototype developed in phase I relative to conventional absorption bed disposal in the six dominant soil texture groups in hawaii. Waihome will also investigate opportunities to refine its prototype design in preparation for commercial manufacturing and installation. Phase II research will culminate in a design validation testing program that will see the installation and monitoring of demonstration units on three residential properties and one city wastewater treatment plant. This program is consistent with standard permitting pathways for new disposal products.