DVIDS – News – Navy Shares Premise Plumbing Assessment Findings

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii – The Navy released a summary of findings from its Preliminary Premise Plumbing assessment. The report is posted on the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH) Safe Waters website.

Throughout the course of the assessment, the results obtained from all samples collected indicate the water continues to meet all state and federal drinking water standards. Low-level detections of total petroleum hydrocarbons were reported for some samples collected from fixtures and water heaters from within homes, as well as associated fire hydrants across the JBPHH water distribution system. A chromatogram analysis of sample results (fingerprinting) revealed no carbon chain pattern matching jet propellant 5 (JP-5), indicating the absence of JP-5 in the water. The report concluded that detections of petroleum hydrocarbons are not unique to residential premise plumbing (e.g. water heaters) and that additional investigation is warranted.

To that end, upon conclusion of its premise plumbing assessment, the Navy initiated a root cause analysis to identify the source of detections of total petroleum hydrocarbons. In late January 2024, the Navy convened a group of drinking water experts – or ‘swarm team’ – in conjunction with officials from the Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Experts and the regulatory agencies continue to review the team’s data collection and analysis.

The premise plumbing assessment also identified several recommendations which the Navy has taken for action, specifically including an expanded water quality investigation capability. The Navy is also implementing other actions, to include: continued and expanded use of the chromatogram analysis; additional investigation of potential lab contamination; review of laboratory analysis procedures; split-sampling analysis by alternate, EPA-certified laboratories; and evaluation of the JBPHH drinking water distribution system infrastructure, operation, maintenance and repairs to identify potential sources of petroleum hydrocarbons. The Navy continues to closely coordinate with the DOH and the EPA to address concerns and will continue to share findings from ongoing and future efforts and is committed to determining the cause of detections.
The report on the preliminary premise plumbing assessment can be accessed at:

https://jbphh-safewaters.org/public/Premise_Plumbing_Assessment_03072024.pdf

NCTF-RH is committed to working with all government agencies and community stakeholders to safely and deliberately close the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility underground storage tanks and associated piping system, conduct long-term environmental remediation, and ensure continued access to safe drinking water in compliance with all Federal, State, and local laws, policies and regulations.
For more information about NCTF-RH, visit www.navyclosuretaskforce.navy.mil.

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