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Navy Receives Oahu Drinking Water Chromium VI Sampling Results

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS110318-08
3/18/2011

By Naval Facilities Engineering Command Hawaii Public Affairs

PEARL HARBOR (NNS) -- The Navy released results March 10, from chromium and chromium-6 (Hexavalent Chromium) tests conducted on four of its Oahu, Hawaii, water distribution systems.

Testing was conducted in February, due to consumer concerns about whether or not the water is safe to drink.

Seventeen samples were collected from water systems aboard Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Wahiawa, Lualualei and Barbers Point. Laboratory results detected trace levels of chromium-6 in all samples. These findings were similar to those obtained by the Honolulu Board of Water Supply (BWS) in their wells.

"These trace concentrations are all significantly below the current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and State of Hawaii Department of Health's (DOH) regulatory limit of 100 parts per billion (ppb) for total chromium in drinking water, including Hexavalent Chromium," said Aaron Poentis, Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Hawaii environmental business line coordinator and Navy Region Hawaii environmental program director. "The detected Hexavalent Chromium concentrations are similar to those found in recently collected samples from the County of Honolulu water system."

NAVFAC Hawaii owns and operates six water systems: Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Barbers Point, Camp Stover, Naval Magazine Lualualei, Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station Pacific, and Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF), Kauai. As a drinking water provider, the command is required to sample for total chromium in drinking water every three years, and results are provided in annual water quality reports which are distributed during the June-July timeframe.

In December 2010, national and local media reported that chromium-6 was found in many drinking water systems throughout the U.S.

"We want to reassure consumers that water provided to you by the Navy meets all federal and state requirements and is safe to drink," said Poentis. "We support state and federal regulators who set water quality standards for drinking water based on good science with consideration for available technology and cost."

NAVFAC Hawaii will submit the results to the Hawaii State Department of Health for their use in continuing to review, and if necessary, to develop new chromium standards.

The Navy's total chromium results ranged between non-detectable levels (<1.0 parts per billion (ppb)) and 4.9 ppb, and are consistent with levels found during routine regulatory monitoring. Hexavalent Chromium results, ranging between 0.41 ppb and 2.1 ppb, are similar to results found by the Honolulu Board of Water Supply from other locations on Oahu, and are within the expected range of natural occurrence for Hawaii.

"NAVFAC Hawaii is committed to providing you safe drinking water," said Poentis. "We will continue to monitor your drinking water for regulated contaminants and provide an annual water quality report as required."

For more news from Naval Facilities Engineering Command, visit www.navy.mil/local/navfachq/.