BOARD OF WATER SUPPLY
DRINKING WATER NOTICE

HONOLULU-WINDWARD-PEARL HARBOR WATER SYSTEM
VIOLATES TOTAL COLIFORM REQUIREMENTS

E.COLI BACTERIA FOUND IN AINA KOA AREA WATER SUPPLY

The Board of Water Supply has been notified by the State Department of Health that it has violated drinking water regulations for the presence of E. coli bacteria.

What should I do

There is nothing you need to do. This notice is a public announcement required under the drinking water regulations.

What Happened

The E.coli bacteria was detected on 10/18/13 in a sample collected the previous day from the Aina Koa Neighborhood Park area. E.coli testing requires 24 hours to complete.

The problem was caused by a breakdown in the equipment that adds chlorine to disinfect the water causing inadequate treatment of the water serving the Aina Koa area.

What is being done

Repairs to the equipment were made and chlorine levels were restored on 10/18/13 to the entire Aina Koa area. We also inspected the condition of the wells and reservoirs to insure their integrity. Additional samples tested show no E.coli bacteria in the water.

E. coli are bacteria whose presence indicates that the water may be contaminated with human or animal wastes. Microbes in these wastes can cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. They may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, some of the elderly, and people with severely compromised immune systems. E.coli can also exist in tropical, subtropical and temperate soils and may persist in soil over multiple years.

The symptoms above are not caused only by organisms in drinking water. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice. People at increased risk should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers.

For more information, please contact the BWS Water Quality Division at 748-5080. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1(800) 426-4791.

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses.) You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.

State water system ID: 331 Date Distributed: October 24, 2013
(SA569754 10/24/13)~