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For Immediate Release
June 29, 2021

Board of Water Supply Reaffirms Support for Removal of Tanks at Red Hill

HONOLULU – The Board of Directors for the Board of Water Supply (BWS) reaffirmed their support for the department to protect and preserve our water resource at their Monday, May 24 meeting.

In addition, the resolution passed by the Board supports the department in taking the measures necessary to protect, defend and safeguard the groundwater and the unacceptability of additional fuel contamination of the ground water aquifers by the Navy’s facility and urges the Navy to install comprehensive measures to both prevent and contain future spills from tanks, pipelines and infrastructure via secondary containment or to relocate the fuel away from the aquifer.

“We support the Navy and their efforts to keep us safe here in Hawaii; however, we continue to have concerns regarding the integrity and stability of the fuel tanks at Red Hill.” stated Board Chair Bryan Andaya. “We will continue to push for secondary containment for the tanks and piping or the removal of the tanks to an area not directly above our aquifers.”

In the motion, the board added in language that now covers the piping and other infrastructure for the fuel tanks. The May 6, 2021 leak happened in the piping below the tanks.

Manager and Chief Engineer, Ernest Lau stated, “We are very grateful for the board’s continued support on Red Hill. There is no substitute for pure water and we will continue to work with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the State of Hawaii Dept of Health in ensuring the safety of our water.”

The Board of Water Supply maintains an extensive database on this subject, please go to https://www.boardofwatersupply.com/community/red-hill-moanalua-waimalu-aquifer for more information.

For more information, please call Kathleen Pahinui at (808) 748-5319.

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Contact:

Kathleen Elliott-Pahiinui
Information Officer
Honolulu Board of Water Supply
(808) 748-5319