Kalaupapa residents and staff relocated after water system failure

Sep 12, 2026

Hawaii health officials are moving people out of the Kalaupapa settlement on Molokai because the community no longer has enough drinking water — bad news for residents, most of all the aging Hansen's disease patients who call it home.

  • A key water pump broke down and repeated repair attempts failed.
  • Two Hansen's disease patients and some staff were flown to a state facility on Oahu.
  • More staff and National Park workers are set to leave next.
  • Getting the water system working again is expected to take a while.

Outlook: Kalaupapa stays largely empty until the pump is fixed, and there is no firm date for that yet.

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