Hawaii residents could be displaced for 6 to 8 weeks amid water crisis, Army officials say
CBSN
Some residents connected to the U.S. Navy's water system in Hawaii will be displaced for weeks after petroleum products were detected in the water, Army officials said Friday. An estimated 93,000 people have been unable to use the water for several weeks.
The announcement comes the same day the state's department of health said that a water sample taken from the Red Hill drinking water shaft on December 5 confirmed the water is contaminated with "high levels" of petroleum and gasoline. The sample detected total petroleum hydrocarbons diesel range organics levels 350 times above the recommended level for drinking water, and gasoline range organics more than 66 times the recommended levels.
Lower levels of petroleum products were also found in samples collected from the Aliamanu Child Development Center as well as homes located on the Navy's water system, the department of health said.