The Honolulu Board of Water Supply (BWS) on Tuesday filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Navy, seeking more than $1 billion after the military branch released petroleum and other hazardous chemicals into Oʻahu, Hawaii‘s sole source of drinking water.

During the incident, 27,000 gallons of toxic jet fuel stored in miles of underground tunnels leaked into the aquifer near Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, affecting 93,000 people living near the military’s strategic fuel storage facility, Red Hill.

The Navy acknowledged responsibility for the environmental and human health crisis caused by the November 2021 jet fuel release, though the board alleges it has refused to accept responsibility for the $1.2 billion the BWS will incur to respond to the Navy’s contaminant releases.

Thousands of gallons of jet fuel leaked into Oahu residents’ water supply. (Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images)

of the costs incurred by BWS, even while the Navy has publicly acknowledged its responsibility for this disaster and subsequent contaminant releases,” Anthony said. “Our steadfast commitment to the protection of the purity of Oʻahu’s water resources, and our obligation to our ratepayers for responsible fiscal management compelled us to take this action.”

As the largest water utility in Hawaii, the BWS serves about 1 million customers on O’ahu.

In May, a federal judge awarded nearly $700,000 to more than a dozen families who claimed they got sick after the fuel leaked into the Navy drinking water system, according to a report from the Associated Press. More than 7,500 other military family members have pending lawsuits.