EPA leader concerned about trace amounts of petroleum in Navy drinking water samples - Hawaii News Now

EPA leader concerned about trace levels of fuel in Navy drinking water samples

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - The EPA reports there could be residual fuel in some homes along the Navy’s drinking water system in the wake of the catastrophic 2021 Red Hill leaks.

Hawaii News Now spoke with the EPA and military families who say the report validates their recent complaints of illnesses and sheens in the water.

Richelle Dietz showed the slight sheen on her water Friday morning from her home tap at Earhart Village on Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam.

She and other families say in October a sheen in their water came back and they got severely sick again. “What happened in October was a resurgence of symptoms that happened during the height of the leak in 2021,” said Dietz.

“The severe burning in my throat and my stomach, the gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhea and nausea, the burning after the shower,” she added.

Special Section: Navy Water Crisis

The Navy’s Red Hill fuel leaks sickened thousands of people in 2021 along the Pearl Harbor drinking water system.

In early 2022, the state Health Department lifted its do no drink advisory.

“Sampling results appeared to demonstrate the potential trace presence of petroleum hydrocarbons as diesel in three of the four homes,” said the EPA report.

“We found trace amounts of total petroleum hydrocarbons. These levels were very, very low,” said Amy Miller, director of EPA region 9′s Enforcement & Compliance Assurance Division.

Miller told told HNN that Navy data shows as early as March 11, samples found traces of total petroleum hydrocarbons or TPH, but it was below the state health department’s action level.

In October, EPA inspectors investigated the complaints.

“One of our EPA inspectors did see a sheen on a glass of water that was poured at the house,” said Miller.

“He did see rashes and did see a lot of pictures of rashes,” she added.

The EPA says TPH can be fuel or other types of oil petroleum substance.

“We have asked the Navy to determine if it is any lingering fuel,” Miller added.

Hawaii News Now asked Miller if the Navy’s water is safe to drink.

“The water meets all regulatory requirements under the safe drinking water act,” Miller said.

“That being said because this drinking water system went through such a significant crisis, it’s really important that the Navy take steps to investigate and root out any potential problems.”

The Navy inspected the four residents’ water fixtures for biological growth, collected additional water samples within and nearby the premise, and sampled water heaters.

“Despite the fact all results indicated samples met safe drinking water standards, the Navy is continuing to work to identify the root cause of trace amounts of petroleum hydrocarbons detected in three of four water samples,” said Navy Region Hawaii in a statement.

“My team has worked with the EPA and numerous stakeholders to sample and test these homes so all our residents can be assured their water remains safe and clean,” added Rear Adm. Stephen Barnett, Commander, Navy Closure Task Force – Red Hill, in that statement.

Last year, Army Major Amanda Feindt, Red Hill impacted families and Native Hawaiians protested in front on the EPA shouting “do your job.”

Feindt says in this case, the EPA did do its job.

“To have this federal organization, this federal agency take these complaints seriously and right away was just such a breath of fresh air,” said Feindt.

The EPA wants the Navy to look at its plumbing and water heaters as possible sources of the problem. “To date, DOH has not confirmed the presence of jet fuel in samples taken from the common water supply and distribution system,” said the Health Department in a statement.

“At this time, the lack of multiple lines of evidence regarding water quality from testing of the drinking water supply does not indicate the need for a widespread unsafe drinking water advisory,” it added.

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