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Some three years after the newest building at Hawaii State Hospital was completed, persistent leaks are allowing rainwater to seep in and causing mold to grow inside the facility, according to a consultant that investigated the problem.

The $160 million facility was built in a rainy area at the foot of the Koolau mountain range in Kaneohe and has been plagued by leaks since it opened, according to staff. A report by consultant Hawaii International Environmental Services Inc. earlier this year urges the state deal with the mold problem by fixing the leaks.

The report notes water was “actively intruding” into the first floor of the new building from an outdoor activities area when Hawaii International inspected the property in April. Standing water was also found in a mechanical room, according to the report.

The report recommends the state “identify and address water leaks and other areas where water is entering unintended locations,” including possible problem areas in roofing, flashings or precast wall joints.

It also calls for mold abatement and periodic duct cleaning “for areas that have been shown in this study to exhibit mold growth.”

The state Department of Health said in a written statement that it cleaned visible mold when it became aware of the problem on June 19, and deployed portable dehumidifiers and air purifiers within days of learning of the results of the consultant’s report. The hospital is a health department facility.

Sopping Up Water

The new four-story building is and was built by under a with the state. It is a 144-bed secure forensic psychiatric facility, meaning the patients are sent there by the courts for evaluation or treatment.

The building was completed in 2021 but did not open until 2022 in part because of delays in developing policies and procedures for operations at the new facility. That problem with the Hawaii Government Employees Association.

A staff member at the hospital who declined to be identified because the employee is not authorized to speak to media said the hospital administration “told us about the mold problem, they told us to wear masks.” However, most hospital workers have since stopped using the masks, the staffer said.

The hospital employee said the leaking problem appears to be particularly severe on the bottom floor.

During heavy rain water runs down some walls inside of the structure and collects on the floors. Staff deal with that problem by dropping towels on the floor to sop up the water and posting signs warning of wet floors, the hospital employee said.

“There’s obviously flaws in the way the building was built. The roof is terrible,” the staffer said. “It’s obviously a bad design, and bad construction.”

State Department of Accounting and General Services Public Works Administrator Gordon Wood said in a written statement the state has been “pursuing recourse” with the contractor “through enforcement of warranties, as well as demanding that elements that were poorly designed and/or constructed be fixed.”

DAGS requested fungal investigation and testing be done in areas where leaks “reportedly occurred,” which was mostly the southern side of the building on every floor, according to the Hawaii International Environmental Services report, which was dated May.

The mold survey and testing was done in 29 rooms and found “mold growth in the vicinity of the shower rooms and areas where leaks have occurred.”

DAGS said it has hired “subject-matter experts” to work with Hensel Phelps to address the problems, including investigating and repairing the air conditioning system as needed.

DAGS reported its heating, ventilation, and air conditioning engineer identified “issues” with the building’s AC system that may be contributing to mold growth. State officials are “working together to bring the HVAC system to its optimal level prior to mold abatement and duct cleaning,” it said.

The team of experts including Hensel Phelps “has and is investigating to remediate water intrusion throughout the building, and has acted on repairing or replacing the roofing, flashing, exterior penetrations, and precast wall joints in areas where leaks have occurred,” according to DAGS.

State Rep. Della Au Belatti, chair of the House Health and Homelessness Committee, called the report disturbing. “It’s disappointing it’s happening in a new building, so it raises questions about how the DAGS approval process allowed shoddy work to get through,” she said.

Repairs And Remediation

Au Belatti said her committee focused during the last session on overcrowding and security issues at the state hospital following the murder of 29-year-old nurse Justin Bautista on the hospital grounds last fall. Leaks and mold in the new building were never mentioned, she said.

Mold is “a serious concern, so I hope they’re taking care of it and are going after the contractor,” she said. “My expectation is they are going to go after the people responsible for the shoddy work.”

The DAGS public works administrator said the state initially paid for repairs and remediation of leaks and mold at the hospital building to expedite the work. “But the contractor is ultimately responsible for these costs and will be reimbursing the State for these costs,” Wood said in his statement.

Hensel Phelps, one of the largest construction contractors in the U.S., did not respond to requests for comment submitted by phone and email to its Greeley, Colorado, headquarters.

HGEA and the United Public Workers unions also did not respond to requests for comment, but the health department said it has discussed the mold issue with HGEA.

In an Oct. 4 response to HGEA about the mold, the department said there are no specific regulatory requirements regarding acceptable levels or concentrations of mold in workplace environments such as Hale Ho’ola.

However, the department is aware of published recommendations to quickly identify and remove mold to mitigate possible health effects of mold exposure to people with health risk factors such as preexisting health conditions or immunocompromised conditions, according to the statement.

DOH has been working to identify where the mold growth is occurring, the likely causes of the growth and the remedy to the problem, the department told the union.

Civil Beat’s community health coverage is supported by , Swayne Family Fund of Hawaii Community Foundation, the Cooke Foundation and .