HANKE FILTER will spend $6 million to lease at least 25 industrial-scale water filtration systems to clean up its fuel-contaminated water.
The Navy said the filtration system will first be used to clean its water distribution systems and large storage tanks.
Treated water — which the Navy says will be free of chemical contaminants — will be released in accordance with the state, the city and county of Honolulu, and the Environmental Protection Agency.
The Navy said the next step would be to flush the water from the faucets and appliances in the contaminated homes.Flushing will take place block by block and the entire process will take 30 to 45 days, the Navy said.
Flushing begins Monday at the Pearl City Peninsula Military Residences, Red Hill and Alimanu Military Reserve Residences.It is expected to take a day, officials said.The Navy said a flush would then begin via the Navy Exchange, which would take longer.
“You’re pushing a lot of water through the system faster than we normally pump it, so you’re essentially clearing the pipes,” said Navy Capt. Miguel Diguez, a public works officer at the Navy’s submarine base Kings Bay. “These communities are of people can expect … they may see some changes in water pressure during the flush.”
Residents may notice sediment or mineral deposits, which can cause the water to turn brown or white, he added.He recommends not washing light-colored clothes during the process.
Military and civilian families relocated to Waikiki may stay in hotels during the flush.
“The end product is not just houses, we have churches. We have businesses, restaurants — all kinds of people connected to our water system,” Daly said.
Last week, the Honolulu Water Board expressed doubts about the Navy’s ability to scrub all pipes and water lines for fuel because oil is insoluble in water and tends to stick to pipes.
“We have some experience to fall back on, which suggests this can be done with flushing,” Daly said.