News Releases from Department of Health

HONOLULU – For the first time, 1,2,3-Trichloropropane has been detected in water samples collected at ‘Ōla‘a Station #3 Booster. The booster is part of the County of Hawai‘i Department of Water Supply’s (HDWS) ‘Ōla‘a-Mountain View water system (Public Water System HI0000112) and serves the ‘Ōla‘a and Mountain View areas of the island of Hawai‘i.

Lab reports dated April 21, 2023, July 26, 2023, August 25, 2023 detected 1,2,3-Trichloropropane. HDWS consulted with the Department of Health (DOH) on April 21, 2023, and July 27, 2023. HDWS notified DOH of the final confirmation results on August 28, 2023. The detected TCP levels ranged from 0.05 to 0.07 parts per billion (ppb) and were below the state Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for TCP of 0.6 ppb. Although there is no federal standard for TCP, the state standard is set to avoid health risks based on a lifetime of consuming water containing that level of contaminant.

The presence of TCP in the sample is attributed to the former cultivation of pineapple on the site. The use of the soil fumigants which contained this contaminant ended in the mid-1980s, suggesting that the detected level is not expected to increase in the future.

To date, the ‘Ōla‘a-Mountain View water system is and continues to be in compliance with the state TCP standard for drinking water. HDWS is conducting a thorough investigation of the source of TCP.

This news release is issued in accordance with Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes Section 340E‑24, which requires the drinking water system to notify DOH of any previously undetected contaminant within seven days of detecting the contaminant. Once confirmed, DOH then has 14 days to notify the public through the media.