PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii — Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro has said that the Hawaii community's trust must be earned “every day,” and that trust has “been challenged with this past month’s drinking water contamination.”

In a letter dated Jan. 1, 2022, Del Toro addressed the state of Hawaii by stating that the “foundation of the Department of the Navy is built on trust — trust of our civilian and military leadership, trust of our Sailors and Marines that we serve with, and trust of the nation, people, communities and families that we swear oaths to defend.”

“We know that it is up to the Navy to repair that trust,” he continued.

The letter outlined some of the resources the Navy is providing to the public, including daily Facebook Live events and its website, navy.mil.jointbasewater, which aim to provide up-to-date information.

Del Toro said that the Navy is engaging with “federal, state, local and Native Hawaiian leaders” to address issues related to the water contamination; and that it is also working with the Environmental Protection Agency, the Hawaii Department of Health and Military Services to “ensure the Navy’s drinking water system complies with Hawaii’s safe drinking water requirements.”

“Please know your health, safety, and well-being are priorities of the Department of the Navy, and we remain in critical response mode on supporting the community until this is resolved,” he concluded.