None of the more than 9,000 households affected have been given the all-clear that their water is safe. Some are struggling with the uncertainty of when they’ll be able to return, questioning whether their homes will be safe and dealing with some issues in trying to get reimbursed for hotel stays and other expenses. Meanwhile, unanswered questions loom about possible long-term health effects, especially for children.
Residents of one housing area — Pearl City Peninsula — were notified Wednesday that they’ll be waiting even longer. After the homes were flushed to remove the contaminants from the water, follow-up test results for one sample from a four-unit multi-family residence building came back showing levels of a petroleum compound that exceeded Hawaii Department of Health standards.