All water at Marine gyms on Okinawa is considered non-potable during an islandwide water outage, according to a sign at Gunners Fitness Center on Camp Foster, Nov. 24, 2025. (Ryan M. Breeden/Stars and Stripes)
CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — A broken pipe in northern Okinawa caused a widespread water outage Monday for 17 island municipalities and could lead to disruptions on U.S. military bases.
Marine Corps camps may experience low water pressure or outages while the Okinawa prefectural government works to restore water, according to a post on Marine Corps Installations Pacific’s Facebook page. Where operating normally, water should be conserved, the message said.
Camp Kinser in southern Okinawa “may be affected but the extent of the damage is not yet known,” according to a post on the base’s Facebook page. The Camps Courtney and McTureous Facebook page also posted about the outage but mentioned no water shortages at either base.
All water at Marine gyms on Okinawa “will be considered non-potable during the outage and for up to 24 hours thereafter,” according to a post on the Marine Corps Community Services Okinawa – Semper Fit Facebook page.
Kadena Air Base in a post on its Facebook page recommended people fill their bathtubs with water to flush toilets “or take other precautions.”
A pipe in the Shioya district of Ogimi Village that carries water to a purification plant burst early Monday, according to the Okinawa Prefectural Enterprise Bureau’s website.
Water outages were expected after 4 p.m. in towns across central and southern Okinawa, from Kin town to Yaese town and Nanjo city, the website said.
Other affected municipalities include Yomitan village, Kadena town, Uruma city, Nishihara town, Yonabaru town, Tomigusuku city, Haebaru town and Itoman city, according to the bureau.
Some areas of Onna village, Okinawa city, Kitanakagusuku village, Nakagusuku village, Urasoe city and Naha city were also affected.
The water cutoff does not include Chatan town, near Camp Lester, and Ginowan city, site of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, according to the posts on Kadena and Courtney and McTureous’ Facebook pages.
Cutoff times could vary depending upon the amount of water stored in each municipality, the bureau said.
The cause of the break is unknown, but may be due to aging infrastructure, according to the bureau. The pipe was laid in 1967.
Water was being diverted to another pipeline, but the bureau had no estimate for when the supply would resume, according to its website.
AloJapan.com