Navy officials said this week they still need more time to finish cleaning the system that caused jet fuel to contaminate drinking water in a facility that serves about 93,000 people around the Pearl Harbor military installation in Hawaii.
Speaking to state lawmakers, the officials said that contrary to their prior estimations, they now hope to finish flushing the water system to ensure clean water for those affected by the end of January.
About 1,000 people had reported an odd smell coming from their water, and many said they were experiencing nausea and stomach cramps after drinking it following the November 20 spill.
The water was tested and traces of petroleum were discovered, which prompted thousands of Navy families to be moved from the base and placed in temporary housing while the Navy determined the source of the issue and fixed it.
The officials said an estimated 14,000 gallons of jet fuel spilled into an access tunnel inside the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, and some fuel made its way into the water distribution system in the facility.
The spill has been cleaned, but officials said they are still flushing clean water through the entire system to ensure no traces of fuel that could make people sick are left inside.
Some of the 4,000 military families who were displaced because of the contaminated drinking water could begin returning by the end of next week.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported that the Navy said in early December it would be able to do the work in a matter of weeks.
The Navy has since cleaned the spill at the aging Red Hill storage facility, which supplies fuel for many military planes and ships that operate in the Pacific.
"The plan includes complete flushing of the entire Navy system, from the source to the faucet, with a comprehensive series of water tests in every neighborhood to certify that drinking water meets safe drinking water standards," Navy Rear Admiral Blake Converse told lawmakers during a joint briefing.
The Navy said it will test 10% of homes, which some lawmakers questioned.
"The 10%, it is a sort of statistical determination based on past events, based on academia, based on the capacity of existing labs," said Rear Admiral John Korka, commander of Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command.
Korka said there is also a "confidence factor."
Allowing families to return to their homes requires approval from Hawaii health officials.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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