Photo By Seaman Krystal Diaz | A Navy contractor examines a water sample drawn directly from the water heater as part...... read more read more
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii – Navy Closure Task Force - Red Hill (NCTF-RH), in conjunction with Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Hawaii, Commander, Navy Region Hawaii (CNRH), and Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH), continue to make significant strides in addressing community concerns about drinking water by forming a new Water Quality Action Team, voluntarily extending a drinking water monitoring program, and performing an in-depth inspection of a water heater from a residence in Navy housing at JBPHH.
While the existing Rapid Response Team is in the process of being phased out, a new enhanced Water Quality Action Team is being implemented to respond to consumer concerns and complaints, and to provide overall water quality assessments and information to residents and water consumers. This new team includes a water quality professional that will assess potential water quality concerns at residences and facilities such as household water chemistry, chlorine levels, water temperature, and potential premise plumbing concerns. Potential concerns related to premise plumbing, including water heater and appliance operation and maintenance, will also be addressed by the team. This effort is in addition to the recently announced replacement to the Long-Term Monitoring Program, the Extended Drinking Water Monitoring Program, which will continue to test the water for total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH).
The new Water Quality Action Team recently implemented these efforts at a residence in a Navy housing neighborhood that had a low-level TPH detection. The home was identified because its TPH detection level, although within Federal and State safe drinking water standards, was among the highest of residences sampled.
Under the observation of an on-site Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) water quality professional, the team conducted a comprehensive assessment of the premise plumbing at the residence. This included evaluating pH, water temperature, residual chlorine, and sampling of hot and cold water; and conducting a complete internal and external evaluation of the resident’s water heater. To conduct the evaluation, the group removed the water heater to an inspection facility for dismantling. This provided the opportunity to complete further evaluation of the unit to gain additional water quality information.
The removal of the old water heater revealed minimal corrosion, and upon draining the water heater, the internal water showed no visible concerns. The team checked temperature readings, chlorine levels, general condition, and interior components, finding no evidence of adverse water quality. Duplicate water samples were taken for independent comparative analysis at both Navy and Environmental Protection Agency labs with results expected later in March 2024.
These efforts are critical to the Navy’s efforts to address water quality concerns and reassure those living and working on the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam system the drinking water is safe.
For more about these recent initiatives, go to www.navyclosuretaskforce.navy.mil or visit www.jbphh-safewaters.org for more information on drinking water sampling.
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 pipelines, 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.
SAFE. DELIBERATE. ENGAGED. COMMITTED.
- NCTF - RH -
| Date Taken: | 03.07.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 03.07.2024 17:34 |
| Story ID: | 465653 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, HI, US |
| Web Views: | 180 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Navy Expands How It Addresses Drinking Water Concerns on Oahu, by PO1 Luke J McCall, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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