TL;DR: On September 11, 2026, Kauai's Department of Water reminded customers in Wainiha-Haena and Kilauea not to drink tap water without boiling it first, following a prolonged outage caused by Hurricane Lowell.
Boil notice remained active on September 11
The County of Kauai Department of Water (DOW) reminded the public of the Boil Water Notice for Wainiha-Haena and Kilauea in a bulletin sent at 11:37 AM HST on September 11, 2026, titled DOW NR 09-11-2026 (REMINDER: Boil Water Notice for Wainiha-Haena and Kilauea).
That reminder stated DO NOT DRINK WATER FROM THE TAP and DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST.
The reminder applied to customers in Wainiha-Haena and Kilauea until further notice.
A separate DOW notice titled DOW Boil Water Notice for Kilauea, dated September 10, 2026, said the Kilauea notice was EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY and until further notice.
That September 10 notice was addressed to consumers of the Kilauea Water System.
The September 10 Kilauea notice stated DO NOT DRINK WATER FROM YOUR TAP.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported in Boil water notice in effect for Kauai’s Wainiha-Haena, Kilauea that the boil water notice had been in place since just before 9 p.m. Wednesday in the wake of Hurricane Lowell.
Why the notice was issued
DOW linked the notice to a prolonged water outage caused by Hurricane Lowell, according to the September 11 reminder bulletin.
The September 10 Kilauea notice used the same description of a prolonged water outage caused by Hurricane Lowell.
The DOW page titled Boil Water Notice has been cancelled for Wainiha-Haena described the Wainiha-Haena notice as a precautionary measure following the aftermath of Hurricane Lowell.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser also described the department as saying customers in Wainiha-Haena and Kilauea were advised to boil water until further notice due to the prolonged water outage caused by Hurricane Lowell.
DOW identified the affected systems as the Wainiha-Haena Water System and the Kilauea Water System.
The department headquarters listed on the September 11 reminder was DEPARTMENT OF WATER, COUNTY OF KAUA`I, 4398 PUA LOKE STREET, LIHUE, HI, 96766.
The reminder listed the department phone as (808) 245-5455.
Which household uses required boiled or safe water
The September 11 reminder said customers in Wainiha-Haena and Kilauea were advised to boil all water used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation, until further notice.
The September 10 Kilauea notice said customers on the Kilauea Water System were advised to boil all water used for drinking and cooking until further notice.
The September 10 notice added that boiled, disinfected or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation until further notice.
The September 11 reminder contained the same instruction that boiled, disinfected or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation until further notice.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser summarized the same list as boiling all water used for drinking and other purposes, including making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation.
How to boil tap water under the notice
The September 11 reminder instructed customers to bring water from the tap to a rolling boil for a minimum of 1 minute.
The September 10 Kilauea notice gave the same 1-minute rolling-boil instruction.
Both DOW notices instructed customers to cool down the boiled water and store it in a sterilized/disinfected container.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser restated the DOW instruction that water from the tap should be brought to a rolling boil for a minimum of one minute, then cooled and stored in a sterilized or disinfected container.
The notices stated that boiling and disinfection kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.
Bleach disinfection alternative described by DOW
As an alternative to boiling, DOW said customers may add between 1-8 drops of new, unscented liquid bleach with a strength of 5-6% (like Clorox) to each gallon of water for disinfection.
The September 11 reminder, the September 10 Kilauea notice, and the Honolulu Star-Advertiser account all included that 1-8 drops per gallon dosage and the 5-6% strength description.
DOW instructed customers to fill a clean container with water, add the chlorine and let the water stand for at least 30 minutes before using.
The notices said the water treated with bleach will have a slight chlorine odor.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser also reported DOW's instruction to fill a clean container with water, add the chlorine and let the water stand for at least 30 minutes before using.
Wainiha-Haena cancellation announced September 11
DOW announced cancellation of the precautionary Boil Water Notice for the Wainiha-Hāʻena Water System in a notice dated September 11, 2026, titled Boil Water Notice has been cancelled for Wainiha-Hāʻena.
That cancellation notice was addressed to consumers of the Wainiha-Hāʻena Water System and stated the cancellation was effective immediately.
The cancellation notice said laboratory results on the samples collected on September 10, 2026, indicate the water is safe for consumption.
The cancellation notice stated no further customer action is required at this time and customers in the Wainiha-Hāʻena area may now resume normal water use.
The cancellation notice listed the DOW address as 4398 Pua Loke Street, Lihuʻe, HI 96766.
The cancellation notice listed TEL: (808) 245-5400 and [email protected].
How to check updates and report problems
The September 11 reminder directed customers to visit kauaiwater.org/service-outages/ for more information and to view updates.
The September 10 Kilauea notice directed customers to www.kauaiwater.org for more information and to view updates.
The Wainiha-Haena cancellation notice also directed customers to www.kauaiwater.org to view updates.
The September 11 reminder said to report a water outage or leak, call 808-245-5400, option 1 or 808-245-5444.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser listed the same outage-reporting numbers as 808-245-5400, option 1 or 808-245-5444, and the same updates page as kauaiwater.org/service-outages.
The September 11 reminder said members of the media with an inquiry for the Department of Water should email [email protected].
What households can keep ready for outage-related notices
For households in the named systems, the notices identify bottled water as an accepted option alongside boiled and disinfected water for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation.
The notices identify clean containers and sterilized/disinfected containers for storing cooled boiled water and for mixing bleach-disinfected water.
The notices identify new, unscented liquid bleach with a strength of 5-6% as the disinfection agent named by DOW, with dosage measured in drops per gallon.
The notices identify a minimum 1-minute rolling boil and a minimum 30-minute standing time after adding chlorine as the two waiting periods named by DOW.
The notices identify the DOW outage-reporting lines and the kauaiwater.org/service-outages/ page as the contacts to check during a prolonged water outage.