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The Maui News
Trace levels of a contaminant have been detected in the Haleakala National Park water system, the state Department of Health announced Thursday.
Low levels of 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, known as 2,4-D, was recently detected for the first time during routine sampling collected at the park's water system, which serves about 1,200 people in Kula, according to a DOH news release.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2,4-D is an organic chemical and has been widely used since the 1940s as a pesticide on row crops such as sugar cane.
The Health Department said water from the park system remains safe to drink, as the levels of 2,4-D were "well below" the EPA and state maximum contaminant level -- which is the highest amount allowed in drinking water -- of 70 parts per billion. The detections ranged from 0.26 to 0.39 parts per billion, which is less than 0.6 percent of the maximum contaminant level, the department said.
The standards are set to avoid human health risks based on a lifetime of consuming water containing that level of contaminant, according to the department.
Federal and state drinking water regulations mandate testing of the drinking water in the Haleakala National Park system. To date, the water system continues to be in full compliance with all federal and state standards for drinking water, the department said.