Traces of hazardous perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — sometimes called “forever chemicals” because they persist in the environment — have been detected at the Hawaii National Guard’s Waiawa Unit training base, prompting the Guard to inform residents of 50 to 60 homes in Pearl City’s Waiawa Road area that there’s a chance their water was contaminated.

The Guard says testing should be done as a precaution, though wider contamination is unlikely. Residents must now make a tough call: Decide whether to play the odds and drink the water, while waiting 12 to 14 weeks for test results, or find alternative sources, at their own expense.