JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii – Post home and building flushing drinking water sampling data from the U.S. Navy and the Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) have been validated by the Interagency Drinking Water System Team (IDWST) for Red Hill Housing (Zone I1). The IDWST is releasing the data today.
A summary of the laboratory testing results can be found here. The primary online resource for information about the interagency response can be found at: https://www.cpf.navy.mil/JBPHH-Water-Updates/.
The Navy and Hawaii DOH took water samples after homes and non-residential buildings were flushed. The drinking water meets U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Hawaii DOH standards that are applicable to the Navy Water System incident. On Feb. 4, IDWST submitted the results to Hawaii DOH for final review. In accordance with the IDWST’s approved Drinking Water Sampling Plan, Addendum 2, Hawaii DOH’s final review should take approximately seven days. Once Hawaii DOH determines the Navy’s drinking water is fit for human consumption, Hawaii DOH will amend the health advisory for Zone I1. Once the public health advisory has been amended for all zones, Hawaii DOH will lift the public health advisory for the entire Navy Water System.
The following information is provided to help interpret the data:
- Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) tests look for many petroleum compounds and are done in addition to standard drinking water tests.
- Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) are established by the EPA and are the maximum permissible level of contaminants in water which is delivered to any user of a public water system.
- Environmental Action Levels (EALs) are established by the Hawaii DOH and are concentrations of contaminants in drinking water and other media (e.g., soil, soil gas, and groundwater) below which the contaminants are assumed to not pose a significant threat to human health or the environment. Exceeding the Tier 1 EAL does not necessarily indicate that contamination at the site poses environmental hazards but generally warrants additional investigation.
- All values are in micrograms per liter (µg/L) which is equal to parts per billion (PPB).
- The Method Detection Limit (MDL) is the lowest concentration at which an analyte (chemical subject that is being analyzed) can be detected in a sample.
The Hawaii DOH’s Nov. 29, 2021, public health advisory for JPBHH remains in effect.
For more information on water recovery efforts, please see: https://www.cpf.navy.mil/JBPHH-Water-Updates/.