Mechanical failure at water plant leaves ~4,000 soldiers at Hawaii Army bases without AC

About 4,000 soldiers assigned to Hawaii are living in barracks without central air conditioning after mechanical failures at a water treatment plant left only one pump operational, according to U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii.

What Happened

Underground water pumps at the plant began experiencing problems on July 10, a garrison official told Task & Purpose. The failures have drastically reduced water available to:

• Schofield Barracks
• Wheeler Army Airfield
• Helemano Military Reservation
• Other bases in north and central Oahu

As a result, the garrison has turned off water-cooled chiller systems in certain barracks to conserve water.

Impact on Soldiers

“With only one deep well pump operating, we must keep those chillers offline to preserve essential water service,” said Nathan Wilkes, a spokesman for U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii. “The chiller systems alone make up nearly 40% of normal daily water demand.”

Family housing on the bases is unaffected, Wilkes said.

With central air conditioning offline, soldiers are permitted to:

• Open their windows
• Use fans and other cooling equipment from their units

Wilkes said he did not have an exact figure for how many soldiers may be using portable air conditioning units.

Weather on Oahu this week is forecast to be balmy, with daytime temperatures ranging from the high 70s to mid 80s and fairly nominal humidity.

Relief Measures

“Leaders across the force are aware of the issues and are engaged with their units to provide what relief they can while the repairs continue,” Wilkes said.

Soldiers can also move into air-conditioned morale, welfare, and recreation facilities—such as conference rooms—overnight to cool down.

Repair Timeline Unclear

It is unclear how long the roughly 4,000 soldiers will be without air conditioning, said Wilkes. Fixing the broken pumps requires specialized parts to be shipped to Hawaii, and each must be tested before pumps can resume operating.

The pumps are also deep underground, making them difficult to access for repairs. Obtaining backup pumps for the water treatment plant has proven challenging, said a U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii official.

“Repairs to the deep well pumps are underway, but we cannot provide a precise timeline for repairs at this time,” Wilkes said.

Cause of Failures

The exact cause of the water pump failures is not currently known, but their age and extreme heat caused by ventilation system repairs are believed to be contributing factors, Wilkes said.

Water and Sanitation Still Available

All barracks and residential areas continue to have access to drinking water. Toilets, sinks, and sanitation systems remain functional.

The 25th Infantry Division is also operating four High Incentive Portable Potable Water Systems to provide potable water for household use.

Conservation Efforts

The current water conservation measures apply to all soldiers, families, civilians, and troops from other military branches assigned to bases in the region, Wilkes said.

Soldiers and their families are asked to report any sprinklers or hoses running while repairs are underway to the Directorate of Public Works (DPW).

“Military Police and DPW are actively working these reports,” Wilkes said.

“These conservation measures help preserve the limited water supply while repairs continue, but only the service members in the water-cooled barracks are experiencing the loss of central AC,” he added.

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