DOH Encourages Navy Water System Users To Participate In Follow-Up Health Impact Survey
Residents who are using the Navy water system can now share their experiences with the State Health Department to further explore the impact of the jet fuel contamination in the US Navy’s Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam drinking water system.
The follow-up survey will support the initial survey conducted in January and February of this year. The survey will evaluate the ongoing public health impacts, water usage and attitudes toward the water system.
The survey is being conducted by the Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
“Jet fuel contamination of a drinking water system on this scale is unprecedented,” said DOH State Toxicologist Dr. Diana Felton. “This follow-up assessment will further the understanding of how the contamination impacted the health of impacted individuals and inform our public health response.”
Individuals who were served by the Navy water system between November 20, 2021 and March 18, 2022 can access the online survey by heading to https://epiinfosecurewebsurvey.cdc.gov/Home/ed35dc5c-389b-4e06-934c-db7b8418ec36. The online survey will be open through Sept. 23, 2022. Participation is voluntary and identities will be kept confidential.
The initial survey conducted in January and February surveyed over 2,200 participants. The Assessment of Chemical Exposure health impact survey found that 87% of respondents reported at least one new or worsening health symptom related to the contaminated water. Eighty percent reported improvement when they switched to an alternate water source. Moreover, 46% reported new mental health symptoms.
