Red Hill Water Information
To protect public health and the environment for all of Hawai‘i, DOH provides this page with information about the defueling, monitoring and remediation of the U.S. Navy’s Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility.
News Directives & Plans Test Results Amendments Feedback Resources
Emergency Order Updates
On May 6, 2022, the Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) issued an Emergency Order, Docket No. 22-UST-EA-01, regarding the defueling and closure of the 20 underground storage tanks, surge tanks, and associated piping at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility. The Emergency Order replaces DOH’s December 6, 2021 Emergency Order. The Navy must provide DOH with its independent contractor’s assessment on facility operations by May 15 and a plan and implementation schedule to defuel by June 30, and a plan for closure of the facility by November 1.
Read the full Emergency Order served May 6, 2022.
Ongoing issues:
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Last updated May 19, 2022 |
DOH Emergency Order
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- On Friday, May 13, DOH received a copy of the Assessment Report prepared by the Navy’s contractor, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, Inc., on recommended system repairs and improvements to safely defuel the Red Hill facility.
- The report is designated by the Navy as Department of Defense critical infrastructure security information (known as “DCRIT”), so DOH is not able to release the report received on May 13 to the public. The DOH emergency order requires that the Navy provides a copy of the report that can be released to the public by May 27.
- DOH is evaluating the contractor’s findings.
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Long-Term Monitoring of Navy Drinking Water System
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- DOH continues to oversee the Navy’s long-term drinking water monitoring plan, which requires two years of monitoring of homes, schools, childcare facilities, and other buildings on the Navy water system.
- Navy water system residents whose homes have not been sampled to date may call the Navy to arrange for sampling in the next available Long-Term Monitoring round. Contact the Navy at:
- (808) 449-1979
- (808) 448-3262
- (808) 448-2557
- (808) 448-2570
- (808) 448-2583
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Aquifer Monitoring and Recovery
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- The plume maps were constructed using groundwater sampling data that the Navy is required to collect and report to satisfy the 2014 Administrative Order of Consent (AOC) and the DOH Notices of Interest (NOIs). Hundreds of TPH data points based on groundwater water samples drawn from Navy monitoring wells across the Red Hill facility are compiled and evaluated before being incorporated into interpretive maps that show the apparent fuel impact distributions for each time period.
- Careful, ongoing review of incoming sampling results from Red Hill groundwater monitoring wells show clear fuel impacts across the Red Hill monitoring well field from after the May 6, 2021 release and the November 20, 2021 release.
- Among the latest findings:
- Groundwater monitoring wells immediately beneath the Red Hill tank farm show persistent TPH contamination dating from both recent (2021) and prior releases.
- Monitoring wells beneath the Red Hill tanks continue to show intermittent elevated levels of fuel contaminants since the May and November 2021 fuel releases.
- Recent available data suggest the estimated fuel plume is receding from its northwest extent seen late in 2021. Active ongoing review of incoming data is key to tracking changes in groundwater.
- TPH concentrations at the Red Hill tank farm appear to be declining at most wells, which indicates a general lessening of aquifer impacts visible in the well network, particularly more distant from the Tank Farm.
- TPH concentrations at the Red Hill Shaft after the November 2021 release peaked on 12/8/21 with high levels of fresh fuel entrained in the water column. Concentrations declined thereafter, demonstrated by frequent non-detects and sporadic detections above EALs in the shaft beginning in mid-January through early April 2022, the most recent data we have received.
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Red Hill Shaft Filtration and Discharge into Halawa Stream
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- DOH continues to enforce its NPDES permit on the Navy’s granular activated carbon (GAC) water filtration system from Red Hill Shaft and discharge into Halawa Stream.
- The Navy is required to provide monthly reports on contaminant testing and stream inspections. DOH carefully evaluates the reports for a number of contaminants and environmental impact.
- The latest data DOH received from the Navy is data from March. This data showed non-detect for TPH from the GAC discharge and no impact from stream inspections.
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News Releases
May 19, 2022 | DOH Red Hill Status Report #3
May 9, 2022 | Navy waives right to contest DOH Red Hill Emergency Order
May 6, 2022 | New Red Hill emergency order sets expectations for safe defueling and closure of Red Hill
May 4, 2022 | DOH Red Hill Status Report #2
April 22, 2022 | DOH statement on Navy’s dismissal of Red Hill appeals
April 20, 2022 | DOH Red Hill Status Report #1
April 1, 2022 | DOH investigating Red Hill release of fuel and water mixture
March 18, 2022 | DOH declares four Navy drinking water distribution system zones safe
March 13, 2022 | DOH declares Navy drinking water distribution system Zones A3 & D2 safe
March 11, 2022 | DOH declares Navy drinking water distribution system Zones F1, F2, H2 & H3 safe
March 8, 2022 | DOH declares Navy drinking water distribution system Zones D4 & E1 safe
March 7, 2022 | Statement on Department of Defense decision to defuel and permanently close Red Hill fuel storage facility
March 3, 2022 | DOH declares Navy drinking water distribution system Zones B1, G1, H1 safe
March 1, 2022 | DOH declares Navy drinking water distribution system Zones A2, D1, Manana Housing safe
February 28, 2022 | Navy in non-compliance with DOH Red Hill Emergency Order
February 23, 2022 | DOH declares Navy drinking water distribution system Zone A1 safe
February 14, 2022 | DOH declares Navy drinking water distribution system Zone I1 safe
February 2, 2022 | DOH statement on Navy appeal of Red Hill emergency order
January 31, 2022 | DOH statement on Navy’s intent to appeal Red Hill emergency order
January 27, 2022 | DOH grants permit to Navy to remove fuel contamination from Red Hill Shaft
January 25, 2022 | DOH releases updated Red Hill groundwater monitoring results
January 14, 2022 | DOH releases validated result of December Aliamanu Military Reservation system flush
January 11, 2022 | DOH/CDC Health survey expanded to include all Navy Water System users
January 4, 2022 | Survey of civilians affected by Navy water system contamination to begin Jan. 4
January 3, 2022 | DOH Upholds Hearings Officer’s Recommendation on Red Hill Emergency Order
December 17, 2021 | Hawai‘i DOH, Navy, Army, and EPA establish Interagency Drinking Water System Team, sign water sampling plan
December 16, 2021 | Red Hill emergency order evidentiary hearing scheduled for Monday
December 15, 2021 | Hawai‘i Department of Health releases 27 new Navy Water System test results
December 10, 2021 | Hawai’i Department of Health confirms high levels of petroleum contamination in Navy’s Red Hill Shaft
December 8, 2021 | Petroleum contamination reported in Navy’s Aiea Halawa shaft
December 7, 2021 | Hawai‘i Department of Health orders Navy to suspend operations
December 3, 2021 | DOH receives initial results from Navy water system tests
December 1, 2021 | Preliminary results detect petroleum product in Navy water system
November 30, 2021 | Hawai‘i Department of Health advises Navy water system consumers not to drink, consume tap water
Directives, Orders & Plans
Health Impact Survey
The Hawai’i Department of Health (DOH) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (CDC/ATSDR) conducted a survey to better understand the health impacts of this contamination event and determine what steps are needed to protect public health.
All individuals affected by the petroleum contamination in the U.S. Navy’s Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam drinking water system were eligible to participate. The survey is closed – it was available online from January 7 – February 10, 2022.
People submitted more than 2,300 survey responses. DOH and CDC/ATSDR are analyzing this information and will summarize results in a public report.
Email [email protected] with questions.
Test Results
Click on a location below to view laboratory reports of DOH-collected samples related to the Navy water system incident. Samples were collected by DOH and analyzed by Eurofins Scientific in California.
Location(s) Sampled
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Result (Petroleum Product Detected or Not Detected) |
Date of Collection |
Red Hill Water Supply Distribution System |
Detected |
November 24, 2021 |
Nimitz Elementary School and Pearl Harbor Elementary School |
Not Detected |
November 29, 2021 |
Aliamanu Child Development Center |
Detected |
December 3, 2021 |
Eagle Circle and Milo Lane Residences |
Detected |
December 3, 2021 |
Red Hill Shaft and Upper Storage Tank |
Detected |
December 5, 2021 |
Dovekie Avenue site: 974572 |
Not Detected |
December 9, 2021 |
Halawa Correctional Facility |
Not Detected |
December 9, 2021 |
Birch Circle |
Not Detected |
December 8, 2021 |
Bittern Avenue |
Not Detected |
December 9, 2021 |
106th Street site: 974576 |
Not Detected |
December 9, 2021 |
Navy’s Aiea Halawa Shaft |
Not Detected |
December 9, 2021 |
Navy’s Halawa Storage Tank |
Not Detected |
December 9, 2021 |
Iroquois Point Elementary School |
Not Detected |
December 7, 2021 |
Navy’s Waiawa Shaft |
Not Detected |
December 7, 2021 |
McGrew site: 974257 |
Not Detected |
December 7, 2021 |
McGrew site: 974256 |
Not Detected |
December 7, 2021 |
Birch |
Not Detected |
December 7, 2021 |
106th Street site: 974577 |
Not Detected |
December 9, 2021 |
Iroquois Avenue site: 974579 |
Not Detected |
December 9, 2021 |
McGrew Loop site: 974587 |
Not Detected |
December 8, 2021 |
Octopus Lane |
Not Detected |
December 8, 2021 |
Mokupea Place |
Not Detected |
December 9, 2021 |
3rd Street |
Not Detected |
December 9, 2021 |
Ibis Avenue |
Not Detected |
December 9, 2021 |
Honu Loop |
Not Detected |
December 8, 2021 |
Hekau Street site: 974580 |
Not Detected |
December 8, 2021 |
McGrew Loop site: 974586 |
Detected |
December 8, 2021 |
Edgewater Drive |
Detected |
December 9, 2021 |
Dovekie Avenue site: 974583 |
Detected |
December 9, 2021 |
Hekau Street site: 974259 |
Detected |
December 7, 2021 |
Iroquois Avenue site: 974253 |
Detected |
December 7, 2021 |
Drinking Water Distribution System Recovery Plan Zone H2 |
Detected |
December 26, 2021 |
Feedback
Still experiencing issues with your water? Please report issues here or contact DOH’s Safe Water Drinking Branch at (808) 586-4258 or [email protected].
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