Camp Smith Water Woes
When we turn on the tap, we trust that the water flowing out is safe, yet, at the Camp H.M. Smith Marine Corps Base in Hawaiʻi—home to the Indo-Pacific Command—this trust is being betrayed by a neglected water system and regulatory inaction.
At the heart of this issue is a single water tank, designated S-326. This tank, which holds the drinking water for the 224-acre base, has not been cleaned or inspected since 2013. Astonishingly, it is not scheduled for cleaning until 2030. If that timeline holds, the tank will have gone 17 years without proper maintenance.
This is a direct violation of safety guidelines. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the American Water Works Association (AWWA) explicitly recommend that water storage tanks be cleaned and inspected, at a minimum, every five years to prevent contamination and ensure water quality.
A Disturbing History of Neglect
This isn't a case of simple bureaucratic delay. Through a series of correspondences, the EPA itself has admitted to shocking conditions inside Tank S-326:
It has not been cleaned in over a decade.
Geckos have been found nesting inside.
There is visible sludge at the bottom of the tank.
Perhaps most alarmingly, this same tank was impacted by the November 2021 Red Hill jet fuel contamination crisis, raising further questions about the integrity and safety of the water supply.
Why is This Allowed to Continue?
Faced with these alarming risks, we would expect immediate regulatory action. Instead, the EPA has granted the Navy an extension until May 2030 to clean the tank under the 2023 Red Hill Administrative Consent Order.
The EPA's reasoning? The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) does not require regular tank cleaning, only recommending it. Furthermore, they state that other tanks in the system are out of service, and S-326 must remain operational to maintain water storage capacity.
In essence, the military’s failure to maintain its own infrastructure is being used as justification to continue exposing service members and their families to potential danger for another five years.
The Invisible Threat in the Sediment
So, how serious is the risk? According to Bob Clement, a veteran EPA Region 8 microbiologist, the situation is not just bad—it's a "sleeping public health concern" with the potential for a full-blown crisis.
The sludge at the bottom of the tank is more than just dirt; it's a breeding ground for dangerous pathogens. EPA research on tank sediments has found:
Opportunistic Pathogens: Including Mycobacterium, Legionella, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Other Dangerous Pathogens: If breaches exist (like those that might allow geckos in), the sediment can harbor E. coli 0157, Salmonella, Cryptosporidium, Giardia, and viral pathogens.
“Where we have both breaches... and inches to feet of sediment,” Clement warns, “we have a truly dangerous public health potential.”
The sediment itself makes the threat worse. Bacteria attached to particles become more than 600 times more resistant to disinfection. Fungi, like molds and yeasts, are even harder to kill.
The danger lies in what Clement calls an "uncontrolled and unpredictable washout event"—like a sudden high demand for water during a fire or a telemetry malfunction that violently stirs up the sediment. If that happens, the sleeping threat awakens, and the water system could be overwhelmed with pathogens, leading to a waterborne disease outbreak.
This is not a theoretical scare tactic. Clement points to a real-world example in Alamosa County, where disturbed sediment from a tank that hadn't been cleaned in 11 years led to one of the worst U.S. waterborne disease outbreaks in years, causing severe sickness and death.
The Bottom Line:
Source: Bob Clement, Environmental Engineer M.S., Microbiologist EPA Region 8, April, 2019
The Marine Corps' Camp Smith water system is operating far below recommended safety standards, placing the health of thousands of workers and families at risk. And rather than enforcing a swift resolution, regulators are enabling this threat by granting extensions that prioritize operational convenience over human safety.
Once again, it falls to the community to demand accountability from those whose job it is to provide protection.
What You Can Do
This situation is unacceptable. The health and safety of our service members, their families, and the integrity of a critical military command should not be compromised. Here’s how you can help:
Contact the Governor: Tell Governor Josh Green that the State of Hawaiʻi must hold the military accountable for the safety of its people and our shared ‘āina. It is time to stop negotiating land deals with a military that fails to maintain its own infrastructure to basic health standards.
Action: Go to engage.hawaii.gov and send a message.
Need a template? Find sample comments at tinyurl.com/gov-website-0925
Take the Pledge: Commit to a future where clean water is a guaranteed right for all in Hawaiʻi.
Action: Take the Pledge to Our Wai, Pledge to Our Keiki to stay informed and engaged in the fight for a clean and just water future for our islands.
The water in Tank S-326 may look clean today, but the potential sediment at the bottom tells a different story. We cannot wait for a crisis to force action. The time to demand safe water for Camp Smith is now.