County officials have almost finished converting the Big Island's large-capacity cesspools to new wastewater systems as required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The effort to upgrade or close 104 county cesspools to meet the EPA's Underground Injection Control Regulations was supposed to be done by April 5, 2005, but the work won't actually be completed until one final system is replaced in Kailua Park in Kona this summer.

Most of the work was finished in 2006, and cost more than $6.47 million.

Systems were replaced in parks, playgrounds, golf courses, community centers, fire and police stations and public pools.