HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) received numerous complaints today of a fuel or gasoline-like odor from consumers of the Navy’s Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH) water system, including the Aliamanu Military Reservation, Red Hill and Nimitz Elementary Schools, and military housing. All complaints are from users of the Navy’s water system.

The DOH recommends all Navy water system users avoid using the water for drinking, cooking, or oral hygiene. Navy water system users who detect a fuel odor from their water should avoid using the water for drinking, cooking, bathing, dishwashing, laundry or oral hygiene (brushing teeth, etc.).

As a regulated water system under the jurisdiction of the DOH’s Safe Drinking Water Branch, the Navy is responsible for maintaining a safe and reliable source of drinking water to its customers and provide alternative sources of drinking water for human consumptive uses as deemed necessary.

The Navy and the DOH are working together to investigate the extent and source of the odor complaints, including performing sampling and analyses for potential petroleum components. DOH’s initial screening results received this afternoon were inconclusive and did not detect a contaminant. Samples have also been sent to a drinking water testing laboratory in California, and more quantifiable, contaminant-specific results are expected by the end of the week. In the interim, the DOH recommends all users avoid using the water for drinking, cooking, or oral hygiene.

Affected residents are asked to contact the Navy at (808) 448-2570 and the DOH at [email protected] to report similar complaints. Please provide your name, phone number, affected address and any details relating to the smell/taste or color in the drinking water.

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PDF: Hawai‘i Department of Health advises Navy water system consumers not to drink, consume tap water