Navy Says Second Well Might Not Be Contaminated, Prompting Confusion

TL;DR - A day after the Navy said it had detected diesel in its Aiea Halawa well at levels more than double the state safety limit, the military backtracked on Thursday, saying the contaminated sample “did not come directly” from the well and the Navy does not believe the result proves the well is contaminated.

It was a reversal of what Navy officials told state and local leaders in a Wednesday afternoon meeting. They reported detecting a level of “total petroleum hydrocarbons as diesel,” or TPH-d, in the well at 920 parts per billion – a level the Hawaii Department of Health said is unsafe to drink.

“If it’s not coming out of the shaft, where did the diesel come from?” asked Ernie Lau, Chief Engineer for Board of Water Supply.

December 10, 2021: Navy Says Second Well Might Not Be Contaminated, Prompting Confusion, Honolulu Civil Beat