The fuel contaminants from the Red Hill storage tanks that fouled Navy’s drinking water system, serving 93,000 people in Pearl Harbor and Hickam neighborhoods, were subsequently flushed and the water was deemed safe.

But there’s more to the case that will be tough to purge. The tally of family members who have filed federal claims of illnesses resulting from the tainted water keeps growing. Ultimately they’re expected to join a growing federal lawsuit. This issue is not going away anytime soon.