PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii —  A 36-inch water main break that occurred Friday along Kamehameha Highway near Pearl Harbor has been fixed, according to a news release from the Navy.

What You Need To Know

  • The Navy had a total of four water main breaks, which have all been repaired

  • While the water is being restored, sediment, bacteria and chlorine may be detected in the water

  • The water will be sampled for bacteria

  • The Navy lifted the boil water advisory on Friday

Repairs to the 20-foot section of the pipe were completed at 2:45 a.m. on Oct. 19 by contractors. 

The Navy had a total of four water main breaks, according to Capt. Mark Sohaney, Joint Base commander, who released a video with updates on the situation. These breaks are now repaired. 

The 36-inch water main break was the main break. An additional break last Friday was caused by a car accident and has been repaired. A break at the Pearl City peninsula was repaired Tuesday night and another break at West Loch that has been repaired. 

The water main break affected 93,000 residents who live in Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam base housing and the surrounding area. Military facilities known as Morale, Welfare and Recreation — which include recreation centers, libraries and childhood development centers — were closed.

On Tuesday, the Board of Water Supply started supplying water to the Navy, according to Kathleen Elliott-Pahinui, spokesperson for the Board of Water Supply.

"Navy breaks have been repaired and BWS will be shutting off the emergency connection sometime soon," Elliott-Pahinui said to Spectrum News Hawaii in an email. 

The Navy will pay for the water used. 

“I want to thank our contracted partners, Dawson, Hawaiian Dredging and Coffman Engineering, who worked hand-in-hand with my Public Works Department,” Sohaney said in a news release. “I would also like to thank the Board of Water Supply for their continued support and allowing the Navy to connect to their system.”

After the water main break occurred on Oct. 14, water usage was restricted to essential use only, and a boil water advisory was put into effect. Water distribution sites were set up for Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam military family housing residents. The Navy said it distributed about 170,000 gallons of bottled water.     

Once it was repaired, water had to be slowly introduced back into the system to restore pressure. Workers also opened fire hydrants to equalize water pressure. 

While the water was being restored, Pearl Harbor residents were warned that sediment, bacteria and chlorine may be detected in the water. Residents were also warned that they may see fluctuations in water pressure and air pockets in the water. 

After pressure was restored, the water was sampled for bacteria. The samples were tested at a state-approved, third-party laboratory in Hawaii. The samples were found to have no bacteria, and the results were shared with the Hawaii Department of Health.  

The Navy lifted the boil water advisory on Friday.

“Based on those results, residents on the Joint Base water system no longer have to boil their water before consumption," said Sohaney in a news release. “I appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding while we worked to restore our water system to normal.”

As the water system returns to full functionality, residents were told that they may still see sediment in the water. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises water system users to flush their water lines for five minutes. Residents were also told to empty their ice buckets, allow them to refill, then throw away the next batch of ice and clean the ice bin with a cleaning agent. 

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

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been updated with information from the Board of Water Supply (Oct. 20, 2022). A subsequent update added the Navy's lifting of the boil water advisory. (Oct. 24, 2022)