Toxic cesspools are breeding more than bacteria in Hawaii — they’re propagating corruption.

Ex-state Rep. Ty Cullen was sentenced to two years in prison on Thursday after being convicted on federal corruption charges related to a bribery scandal involving the toxic sewer pits. 

Cullen previously admitted to accepting bribes, in the form of cash and gambling chips, in exchange for promoting legislation that would reduce the tens of thousands of cesspools on the Hawaiian islands. 

“This was a grievous breach of public trust on your part,” US District Court Judge Susan Oki Mollway said as she handed down Cullen’s sentence.

“It appears to have been motivated by greed, and it stretched out over a number of years,” Mollway added. “I am very concerned that this was not a momentary lapse of judgment.”

In his plea agreement, Cullen admitted to accepting a total of $23,000 in bribes from Honolulu businessman Milton Choy, who stood to benefit from legislation promoting publicly financed cesspool conversion projects. 

Cesspools — in-ground pits that collect sewage from buildings not connected to city services — are widespread in Hawaii, and legislative efforts have recently been made to accelerate the conversion of some of the 83,000 toxic sewage pits into septic tanks, which are more environmentally friendly.

Cullen also said he took $22,000 in gambling chips from Choy during a trip to a New Orleans wastewater conference.

Cullen was vice chairman of the state’s House Finance Committee for part of the time he received bribes.

The ex-lawmaker told the judge he was ashamed he took the bribes. 

“I want to say I’m sorry to my family who stayed by me, to my friends, to my constituents, my community and the people of Hawaii,” Cullen said. “I will continue to work to make my wrongs right. And ensure that this never happens again.”

Cullen isn’t the first state Democrat to face prison time related to cesspool bribes.

J. Kalani English, a Democrat and the former Senate majority leader, was sentenced last year to 40 months behind bars for taking bribes from Choy related to influencing cesspool legislation.

Choy is due to be sentenced next month. 

Some have likened the toxic sewage pits that pockmark Hawaii to the dirty politics surrounding efforts to clean them up. 

“We were joking that, ‘Oh, now these politicians have given cesspools a bad name,’” Stuart Coleman, the executive director of the nonprofit group Wastewater Alternatives and Innovations, told the Associated Press.

“It’s not too far a jump when you talk about this kind of corruption and [then] you talk about the cesspool that is politics.”

With Post wires