Navy Discovers Contamination at a Second Shaft

Hawai'i Free Press

Thursday, December 9, 2021

Navy Discovers Contamination at a Second Shaft
By News Release @ 5:04 AM :: 2522 Views :: Honolulu County, Environment, Military

Board of Water Supply Shuts Down Aiea Well, Halawa Well

BWS Notified Late Wednesday of Confirmed Contamination at Navy’s Aiea-Halawa Shaft

News Release from BWS, Dec 8, 2021

HONOLULU – The Board of Water Supply (BWS) was informed late this afternoon about contamination at the Navyʻs Aiea-Halawa Shaft. Immediately after being alerted, the BWS took precautionary measures and shut down their Aiea Well and Halawa Well. On Thursday, December 2, 2021, the BWS shut down one of their primary sources, Halawa Shaft after being informed of contamination at the Navyʻs Red Hill Shaft.

“This situation is not acceptable and our system to our residents is now being put under more stress.” stated Manager and Chief Engineer Ernest Lau. “I am deeply troubled and we have requested all pumpage and test data from the Dept of Health on the Red Hill Shaft and the Aiea-Halawa Shaft. We need to have this data in order to make solid and informed decisions regarding our system so we can continue to service our customers.”

BWS had just taken samples earlier this week from the Aiea Well and Halawa Well and sent them to a mainland test lab. Results are expected late next week.

Test results for the Halawa Shaft are still on track to be available to the public end of this week. The BWS will post more information shortly.

COVERAGE:

SA: Board of Water Supply shuts 2 wells as precaution after Navy discloses diesel fuel in water from another shaft

KITV: Navy shuts down second water well as probe into water contamination continues

CB: Navy Finds Contamination In Second Well And Identifies Pollutant At Red Hill Shaft

…“Navy leaders told state and local officials on Wednesday that they detected “significant contamination” of JP-5, a type of jet fuel, in the Red Hill shaft.” …

Navy officials also said they detected additional contamination in a separate Navy shaft in Halawa.

They said they detected 920 parts per billion of a substance known as “total petroleum hydrocarbons as diesel,” or TPH-d. The Hawaii Department of Health’s Environmental Action Level for TPH-d – the amount that DOH considers safe for drinking water and household use – is 400 parts per billion, according to the Honolulu Board of Water Supply.

At the meeting, Navy officials expressed increasing confidence that the cause of the water contamination could be traced to two leaks at the Red Hill facility this year: On May 6, some 1,600 gallons of fuel spewed from a burst pipeline in the facility’s lower access tunnel, and some of it is believed to have leaked into the environment. And on Nov. 20, 14,000 gallons of water and fuel were released from a fire suppression line in a tunnel a quarter-mile downhill from a fuel storage facility….

officials with the Navy, DOH and the Honolulu Board of Water Supply are scheduled to appear at a virtual meeting on Friday at 1:30 p.m. before the Hawaii Senate….

* * * * *

BOARD OF WATER SUPPLY SUPPORTS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH'S DECISION ON RED HILL FUEL TANKS

News Release from BWS, Dec 7, 2021

HONOLULU – The Board of Water Supply (BWS) applauds the decision of the Department of Health to issue an Emergency Order requiring the Navy to immediately suspend fuel storage operations at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, expeditiously install a drinking water treatment system at the Navy’s Red Hill Shaft drinking water well, and promptly take action to defuel the Red Hill underground storage tanks.

Immediate actions are necessary to protect the thousands of residents who rely on the water supplied by the Navy’s water distribution system and, ultimately, the nearly one million people on Oahu who rely on the sole-source aquifer that underlies Red Hill.

Based on the historic performance of the Navy’s operation of the Red Hill facility, the BWS has long called for the relocation of the Red Hill tanks away from Oahu’s irreplaceable drinking water resources and the Emergency Order is an important first step.

Going forward, it will be critical to monitor the actions taken in response to this order to ensure that the fuel at Red Hill is safely removed and that refueling the existing tanks is not allowed as it is irrefutable that the Red Hill facility cannot be operated in a way that is protective of human health and the environment as is required by state law. Relocating the Red Hill tanks is the only way to protect the purity of our drinking water for present and future generations.

* * * * *

Board of Water Supply Shuts Down Aiea Well, Halawa Well

BWS Notified Late Wednesday of Confirmed Contamination at Navy’s Aiea-Halawa Shaft

News Release from BWS, Dec 3, 2021

BWS had just taken samples earlier this week from the Aiea Well and Halawa Well and sent them to a mainland test lab. Results are expected late next week.

Test results for the Halawa Shaft are still on track to be available to the public end of this week. The BWS will post more information shortly. For more information, please call (808) 748-5041 or send an email to contactus@hbws.org.

About the Board of Water Supply

The Board of Water Supply (BWS), a semi-autonomous agency of the City and County of Honolulu, manages Oahu’s municipal water resources and distribution system. As the largest water utility in the State, the BWS serves approximately one million customers on Oahu. The BWS embraces its mission of “Water for Life – Ka Wai Ola” – to provide a safe, dependable, and affordable water supply, now and into the future. Uwē ka lani, ola ka honua – “When the heavens weep, the earth lives.” For more information, visit www.boardofwatersupply.com, follow @BWSHonolulu or like the BWS’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/BWSHonolulu.

###