For thousands of Hawaiʻi residents, rainwater catchment systems provide a dependable source of household water. Keeping these systems properly maintained is one of the best ways to protect your family's health and ensure clean, safe drinking water.
Maintain Your Catchment System
Regular maintenance helps reduce contaminants before they reach your water tank. Homeowners should:
Clean roofs and gutters regularly to remove leaves, dirt, and bird droppings.
Inspect and clean first-flush diverters to keep the first, most contaminated rainwater out of the storage tank.
Clean and inspect water storage tanks as recommended.
Replace sediment and carbon filters according to the manufacturer's recommendations.
Service UV disinfection systems by replacing bulbs annually and cleaning quartz sleeves.
Check pumps, plumbing, and fittings for leaks or corrosion.
Keep tank lids tightly sealed to prevent insects, rodents, and other animals from entering the system.
Even a well-maintained catchment system should be tested periodically to verify water quality.
Why Test for Lead and Copper?
Lead and copper can enter drinking water from plumbing materials, fixtures, or household pipes. Because these metals are colorless, odorless, and tasteless in water, testing is the only way to know whether they are present.
Lead exposure is especially harmful to infants, young children, and pregnant women, while elevated copper levels may also pose health concerns. Annual testing helps identify potential problems early and provides peace of mind that your water is safe.
Hawaiʻi DOH Subsidized Lead & Copper Testing Program
The Hawaiʻi Department of Health (DOH) Safe Drinking Water Branch offers a subsidized lead and copper testing program for homes served by rainwater catchment systems.
Owners or users of rainwater catchment systems serving a legal dwelling are eligible to participate once per year.
Here's how the program works:
Submit a water sample from your rainwater catchment system to a participating laboratory.
Pay $25 for the lead and copper analyses, plus the cost of shipping the sample to the laboratory.
The Hawaiʻi Department of Health pays the remaining cost of the laboratory analysis.
Currently, AECOS Laboratory, Inc. is the only laboratory approved by the DOH to participate in this program. When requesting a test kit or submitting your sample, be sure to ask the laboratory if it participates in the DOH Subsidized Lead and Copper Testing Program.
Please note that, due to the terms of the program, the DOH subsidy applies only to lead and copper testing performed through the participating laboratory. Testing for other contaminants or analyses performed by other laboratories are not covered.
Take Advantage of This Valuable Resource
Annual lead and copper testing is an affordable way to monitor the safety of your drinking water. Combined with regular catchment system maintenance, it provides added assurance that your household water remains safe throughout the year.
If your home relies on rainwater catchment, consider making lead and copper testing part of your annual maintenance routine. For just $25 plus shipping, eligible homeowners can take advantage of this Hawaiʻi Department of Health program to help safeguard their family's drinking water.