WRRC/'Ike Wai Spring Seminar

Sea-Level Rise and Inundation of Infrastructure Including Coastal Cesspools and Wastewater Systems

by Dr. Shellie Habel¹ and Dr. Trista McKenzie²

University of Hawai‘i Sea Grant College Program¹ and Department of Earth Sciences²

Sea-level rise induced impacts in Hawai‘i are becoming increasingly problematic and observable as infrastructure degradation and failure occurs; this includes onsite sewage disposal systems. This presentation reviews the impacts that outdated and aging wastewater infrastructure will increasingly have on our coastlines and low-lying urban areas as sea level continues to rise. Evidence of such impacts includes groundwater modeling that considers sea-level rise induced lifting of the coastal water table, firsthand accounts of systems exposed by erosion and large storms, and field-based geochemical tracers (e.g., radon, pharmaceuticals) of groundwater discharge and its wastewater content. Overall, it will take a focused and driven effort to keep the deteriorating systems off our beaches and contaminants out of our coastal waters.

Join Zoom Meeting:

https://hawaii.zoom.us/j/98029185048

Meeting ID: 980 2918 5048

Passcode: 967507

Event Sponsor
WRRC, Mānoa Campus

More Information
Michael Mezzacapo, 808-956-3097, mmezz@hawaii.edu

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