HONOLULU — As of 8 a.m. Saturday, water service to the Tripler community, including Tripler Army Medical Center, has been restored, according to a news release. The system continues to be monitored, though normal operations are underway. Tripler Army Medical Center will contact patients affected by cancelations on Friday.

Repairs to a broken 10-inch water main at Tripler Army Medical Center have been completed, according to a statement to Spectrum News from Mike Donnelly of U.S. Army Garrison public affairs.

“The system is being flushed and the holding tanks are being filled.” On Friday evening, Donnelly noted that filling the tanks would take about nine hours to complete. 

“Pending any issues, full service should be restored by tomorrow [Saturday] morning. The army has positioned water trucks/tankers and trailers to support the hospital, soldiers, families and facilities.” 

Donnelly added that it’s “too early to tell” if the medical center will accommodate appointments on Saturday, noting that most appointments are typically scheduled for weekdays, and this will be a three-day weekend. “We will know as soon as the holding tanks are charged enough to return full service.”

On Friday morning, Tripler Army Medical Center announced that all appointments were canceled for the day because of a water main break. This included tele-health services. 

The water main break occurred on base, but no further details were provided. 

There is no timeline for when the water main break will be fixed. 

Staff are currently contacting patients with appointments to reschedule. 

The water main break also impacts VA services. Those who need to reschedule VA appointments should call 1-800-214-1306.

Michelle Broder Van Dyke covers the Hawaiian Islands for Spectrum News Hawaii.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been updated to include information that water service has been restored and patients will be contacted to reschedule appointments. (Oct. 8, 2022)