Analytical Support for the Drinking Water Emergency in Hawaii

Helping 90,000 O’ahu Residents Affected by Jet Fuel Leaked from the Red Hill Underground Fuel Storage Facility

The analytical data from PHILIS was used to confirm that the drinking water in more than 1000 residential homes were safe for human consumption, a primary condition for Red Hill residents to be able to return to their homes. Leaked jet fuel contaminated the aquifer providing drinking water for 90,000 residents in and around Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on the island of Oahu in Hawaii.  In response to the Red Hill Drinking Water Emergency, CSS staff mobilized on Christmas Day to set up mobile laboratory assets at Naval Seal Beach, CA. Six CSS analytical staff worked through the holidays and beyond to conduct drinking water analyses on water samples flown daily from Oahu.  Over the course of seven weeks, our staff produced 96 Level 4 Data Packages representing more than 2,000 drinking water samples analyzed. The analytical data from PHILIS was used to confirm that the drinking water in more than 1000 residential homes were safe for human consumption, a primary condition for Red Hill residents to be able to return to their homes. Kudos for CSS’ responsiveness and performance were received from the EPA Deputy Administrator and EPA Consequence Management Advisory Division (CMAD) Branch Chief. Our response supported EPA who partnered with the Navy, Army and the Hawaii Department of Health in an Interagency Drinking Water System Team (IDWST) to restore safe drinking water to the affected residents and workers. The team, which launched in December, 2021, completed drinking water restoration in March 2022.