The military recently released results of a preliminary sampling of five homes where families reported sheens and other contaminants in their tap water.
The Premise Plumbing Assessment report took samples last fall from kitchen and bathroom pipes including water heaters. The military hired a third-party firm, AECOM, to conduct the sampling.
The report found low levels of total petroleum hydrocarbons, but the amounts were below standards that require action. The Navy maintains the water is safe to drink. It has ruled out JP-5, a type of jet fuel, as the source.
The military was set to end its long-term water testing at the end of this month but said it would extend the monitoring program for another year.
Last week, the wife of an Air Force officer questioned what she believed were discrepancies in the report — specifically that aerators in her faucets were replaced when the report stated it did not replace any water heaters or aerators.
Was it a misunderstanding of the sampling process or something else? The Conversation spoke with Navy Cmdr. Benjamin Dunn from the environmental and remediation team of Navy Closure Task Force - Red Hill.
The military is in the process of shutting down the Red Hill fuel storage facility that contaminated water for thousands of people in November 2021.
This story aired on The Conversation on March 20, 2024. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
