Hawaii Governor David Y. Ige: DOH News Release: DOH Declares Navy Drinking Water Distribution System Zones A2, D1, Manana Housing Safe

Press release from Hawaii Governor David Y. Ige:

Mar 2, 2022

WHAT:                        Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH) Declares Drinking Water Distribution System Recovery Plan Zones A2, D1, and Manana Housing Safe; Health Advisory Amended; Residents Allowed to Drink Tap Water

WHERE:                     Zone A2, Ford Island

Click here to view the completed checklist that supports DOH’s health advisory amendment for Zone A2.

Zone D1, Hale Moku, Hokulani

Click here to view the completed checklist that supports DOH’s health advisory amendment for Zone D1.

Manana Marine Corps Housing

Click here to view DOH’s health advisory amendment for Manana Housing.

Click here for an updated map on zone status.

WHEN:                        March 1, 2022

BACKGROUND:        All Navy water system users in Manana Housing, Zone A2 and Zone D1 may now use water for all purposes including drinking, cooking, and oral hygiene. This includes consumption by pets.

The Navy water system’s source water is coming from the Navy’s Waiawa Shaft. The Waiawa Shaft 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 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) subject matter experts completed a final review of all sample data and how the Navy water system maintains operations to ensure safe drinking water.

                                    Zones A2 and D1

DOH and EPA oversaw months of work to provide individuals and families in Zones A2 and D1 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.

One sample collected from a home in Zone A2 initially tested above the total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) screening level set by DOH. The homes were re-flushed and re-tested. Subsequently, all sampled homes and buildings meet DOH’s TPH screening level.

Two samples collected from homes in Zone D1 initially tested above the TPH screening level set by DOH. The homes were re-flushed and re-tested. Subsequently, all sampled homes and buildings meet DOH’s TPH screening level.

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 accurate data in determining 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 Zones A2 and D1 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 Zones A2 and D1. 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

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