USS Nimitz Back Underway After Two Weeks of Flushing Jet Fuel Out of Fresh Water System

[Tony]

Aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68) is back at sea preparing for an upcoming deployment after being kept pierside due to jet fuel contamination in its potable water system, USNI News has learned.

The carrier left the pier at Naval Station North Island, Calif., on Sunday to meet the other ships in its Carrier Strike Group for the Composite Unit Training Exercise (COMPTUEX).

“Nimitz got underway after all tests came back in limits and the potable water was determined to be safe for the crew,” Cmdr. Sean Robertson, a spokesman for U.S. 3rd Fleet, said in a statement to USNI News.
“The ship had been pier side at Naval Air Station North Island since Sept. 17 flushing, cleaning, testing and evaluating its potable water system to ensure the highest quality water is provided to the crew after trace amounts of jet-propellant 5 (JP-5) were found in its potable water system Sept. 16 while underway off the coast of California.”