JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii – With approval from the Hawaii Department of Health (DOH), Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH) will place the Navy Aiea-Halawa Shaft (NAHS) back into routine operation in the coming weeks.
“We have taken every measure to ensure that drinking water from the Navy Aiea-Halawa Shaft meets or exceeds state and federal safe drinking water standards,” said U.S. Navy Capt. John Frye, JBPHH commanding officer. “Reactivation of this shaft is a key step to ensuring that the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam drinking water system remains resilient for the long term.” Reactivation of the NAHS improves the resiliency of the JBPHH drinking water system by restoring an additional water source to the base. The Navy disconnected the NAHS in December 2021 out of an abundance of caution following the November 2021 fuel release at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility (RHBFSF). Extensive monitoring has shown no evidence that NAHS was affected by the 2021 fuel release.
The Navy works closely with DOH and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ensure the safety and quality of the water. Work on NAHS included: • Extensive Water Testing: The Navy conducted a rigorous multi-phase testing program to reactivate NAHS. Between April 2024 through March 2025, the Navy took quarterly drinking water samples from NAHS which were evaluated by DOH and EPA, Test results are posted to the JBPHH Safe Waters website at
https://jbphh-safewaters.org/.
• EPA and DOH also conducted independent evaluations of the Navy’s drinking water system, which mirrored the Navy’s conclusions.
• System Upgrades: A new Granular Activated Carbon/Ion Exchange filtration system was installed to treat per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), an industry standard practice to address an emerging, nationwide chemical of concern.
For more information and to access testing results, visit the JBPHH Safe Waters website:
https://jbphh-safewaters.org/