Chemicals found in water not ‘health threat’
HONOLULU - Trace amounts of volatile organic chemicals were found in the Maui County water systems serving about 27,000 people in Makawao, the state Department of Health reported Tuesday.
"These findings do not represent a health threat, but the law requires and we want to keep the public informed," said Laurence Lau, deputy director for environmental health. "The Department of Health will continue to monitor these systems to ensure that public health is not compromised."
In the Makawao water system, ethylbenzene was detected at 3 parts per billion, far below the federal and state maximum contaminant level of 700 ppb. Ethylbenzene is a solvent used for protective coatings.
Another solvent found was toluene, which was measured at 4.6 ppb. The federal and state limits for toluene is 1,000 ppb. M-Xylene and p-Xylene were detected at 11 ppb, and o-Xylene was found at 2.8 ppb. The federal and state maximum contaminant level for total Xylenes is 10,000 ppb.
The trace chemical amounts were found in a water sample taken Feb. 10 at the Kamole Weir clear well, a concrete storage tank where water is held after it is treated at the Kamole Water Treatment Facility in Haliimaile.
State health officials said they believe the volatile chemicals were in an epoxy coating that was used in completing a 3-million-gallon water storage tank that went into service in November.
Department of Water Supply Administrative Officer Jacky Takakura said she understood the interior of the water storage tank was painted as part of the process of completing and sealing it.
Water tested at the Kamole facility before the new storage tank went on line did not contain the contaminants, which decreased by about 50 percent between January and February.
Health officials also reported a minute trace amount of the herbicide atrazine in the Consolidated Baseyards water system in Wailuku. The private water system serves about 25 people.
That water sample was taken in November.
The amount of atrazine found was 0.073 ppb. The maximum contaminant level for atrazine is 3 ppb.
