In the US every water utility uses some form of disinfection to keep the water safe. Most use chlorine and more than 20% also use chloramine, a disinfectant that is formed by adding ammonia to chlorine. While neither of these…
Category: Maui Water FAQs
FAQ: Water Quality Units and Acronyms Explained
What is the difference between micrograms (μg/L) and milligrams (mg/L)? Microgram per liter (μg/L) is a unit of concentration that measures the amount of a substance dissolved in a given volume of water (1 liter). A microgram is equivalent to…
Are there private labs where I can get my own VOC/SVOC water tests?
Yes there are, though because they are private, generally for-profit companies we can not recommend specific labs and they will likely have variable costs, sample processing times, and lists of services. Typical costs range from $100-$200 for a VOC test…
My home never lost water pressure, is my water safe?
Even if the pipes in your home were continually pressurized, portions of the water systems affected by the advisories lost pressure which introduces the possibility that contamination from other properties could have entered the system thereby introducing contamination into the…
Is water within the advisory area safe for watering plants?
Maui DWS consulted with agricultural specialists and determined that to the best of their knowledge, watering plants should be OK. This is based on the logic that VOC’s, which are the primary contamination type of concern, should dissipate into the…
Why does the advisory say filters will not work to remove wildfire related contamination?
Every water filter is engineered to certain specifications. These specifications include things like normal operating flow rate and the expected concentrations of contaminants entering the filter. If the concentration of contaminants entering the filter exceeds the specifications, the filter may…
How long will the advisory last?
Maui DWS has to be absolutely sure that the water is safe to drink before lifting the Do-Not-Use advisories. They began testing as soon as possible and will likely need to test each of their sampling locations multiple times before…
Can UH Mānoa and Maui College test for these contaminants?
Yes, the University of Hawaiʻi Water Resources Research Center (UH-WRRC) is partnering with teams at UH Maui College to set up a home tap-water sampling program, which will provide free non-regulatory water quality testing to residents in affected areas. Please…
Is the county and state testing for these contaminants?
Yes, the Department of Water Supply (DWS) in conjunction with the Hawaiʻi Department of Health is conducting regulatory testing to understand if the water system is safe or not. However, this process takes time. We appreciate your patience as we…
What are the main contaminants to worry about, and can I test for them myself?
The most reliable data we have comes from research carried out on similar major urban-wildfire incidents, like the Camp Fire in California. In previous studies of wildfires, the harmful substances detected in water systems typically belong to two groups: Volatile…