Hawaii Governor David Y. Ige: DOH News Release: DOH Declares Navy Drinking Water Distribution System Zone A1 Safe

Press release from Hawaii Governor David Y. Ige:

Feb 23, 2022

WHAT:                        Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH) Declares Drinking Water Distribution System Recovery Plan Zone A1 Safe; Health Advisory Amended; Residents Allowed to Drink Tap Water

WHERE:                     Zone A1, Pearl City Peninsula

Click here for an updated map on zone status.

Click here to view the completed checklist that supports DOH’s health advisory amendment for Zone A1.

WHEN:                        February 23, 2022

BACKGROUND:        All Navy water system users in flushing Zone A1 may now use water for all purposes including drinking, cooking, and oral hygiene.

The Navy water system’s source water is coming from the Navy’s Waiawa Shaft. The source water has been tested to verify that it is safe to drink. The Navy’s Red Hill Shaft, which is contaminated, has been disconnected from the water system.

DOH and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency oversaw months of work to provide individuals and families in Pearl City Peninsula with assurance of safe drinking water. This included overseeing flushing operations to confirm that the Navy followed flushing and testing protocol to verify that contamination was removed from the drinking water system.

All of the 83 samples collected from homes or buildings in Zone A1 did not detect petroleum.

The IDWST’s joint plan to draw samples from more than 900, or at least 10% of homes, and 100% of schools and child development centers on the overall Navy water system provides an accurate picture to confirm that the water in all homes and buildings is safe. Additional homes and buildings will be sampled as part of a long-term monitoring plan.

The decision to amend the health advisory and declare the water in Zone A1 safe was made after DOH’s multiple lines of evidence confirmed that no contamination is entering the Navy water system and no contamination remains in Zone A1. DOH’s investigation showed:

Reported sources of contamination are contained

Source water from the Waiawa Shaft is safe to drink

No additional contamination is occurring in the water system

Water within the distribution system is safe to drink

Water in homes/building plumbing is safe to drink

If Navy water system users have a question or concern about the quality of their water, please contact DOH at sdwb@doh.hawaii.gov or 808-586-4258.

RESOURCES:           Click here for a full list of DOH’s screening criteria.

Click here to view validated testing results from Zone A1.

This press release was produced by Hawaii Governor David Y. Ige. The views expressed here are the author’s own.