These days it is such a stretch for the average Joe to buy property in Hawaii because of the very high price of owning a piece of our island paradise. However, in recent years Puna has gotten a lot of attention for having affordable real estate. While Puna is one of the Big Island's more rural districts, the area has turned into one of the most active real estate markets in Hawaii. Getaway-seekers come not only because of the beautiful rainforests, the remoteness and affordable large acreage but many come in search of a sanctuary for alternative lifestyles.

If you drive through Puna today, you will likely see more development going on than anywhere else you have been. The contractors, electricians and plumbers are all thriving like crazy - so much so that you may need to get on their waiting list! But the burning question on many residents' minds is, 'Will Puna be able to stay what it has always been?'

Many say that Puna will have to pay a price for all the development. Critics say that if the communities are not developed according to environmental standards, Puna beach waters and Puna natural water storages (aquifers) are in danger of being contaminated with wastewater.

Puna, which literally means 'spring', with water coming from both Mauna Loa and Kilauea, is home to Hawaii's biggest aquifer - the Pahoa aquifer. The aquifers are vitally important resources for drinking water - now and in the future - and contamination could have a big impact on life in these areas.

In an effort to save the quality of the waters and to set aside a sanctuary for certain species of trees and birds, an agreement was signed in 2005 by Hawaiian Governor Lingle, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA), the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), and the Trust For Public Land (TPL), that protects more than 25,000 acres of rainforest, called Wao Kele o Puna. It was one of the largest conservation purchases ever facilitated by the State of Hawaii. Even though this is an important step in saving the future of the spring waters of Puna, there is still more to do.

Many Puna residents are still using cesspools or sometimes even drain their wastewater down into a lava tube they discovered on their property. Cesspools are a very inferior way to treat the wastewater of individual households.

In cesspools, the sewage gets too far into the ground. Aerobic bacteria, which decomposes sewage more quickly than anaerobic bacteria is only present in the top 26 inches of soil. This means that the deeper the sewage goes into the ground the more likely it is to contaminate ground water before it is purified by bacterial decomposition.

Septic systems are a much better way to go and, in the long run, these systems are only marginally more expensive than cesspools.

When in March 2006 over 54 million gallons of raw sewage were spilled into the Ala Wai Canal in Waikiki (Oahu), everyone had to agree how important a well functioning sewer system really is. A system that is not safe puts everyone at risk. People of Puna, we have to think beyond our own property lines for the future protection of our precious water. Otherwise, Puna spring water will become a thing of the past.