What Would The Copper Valley Have To Do To Get A New Water Well?

 The Journal Asked Sam Dapcevich Of DEC About What It Would Take To Install A New Water Well 

 COUNTRY JOURNAL QUESTION-AND-ANSWER 

Gulkana Village water tank in 1992. (Photo, © Copper River Country Journal archives)

What if local people wanted to start a public water well like Trapper Creek did? How could you help?

In general, developing a new public water system requires a few key pieces:

• An organization that is willing and able to operate and maintain the system,
• An identified water source, and
• Land on which to develop the facilities.

 

Construction of a public water system also requires engineering plans that must be prepared and stamped by a licensed Professional Engineer, and those plans must be reviewed and approved by DEC’s Drinking Water Program.

DEC has two programs that may be able to assist communities interested in pursuing this kind of project: Village Safe Water (VSW) and the State Revolving Fund (SRF) program. In both cases, there must be an eligible entity that is committed to operating and maintaining the system in compliance with drinking water regulations.

 

• Village Safe Water (VSW): Eligible entities are defined in Alaska Statute (AS 46.07) and include second class cities, first class cities, and home rule municipalities with populations under 1,000, as well as communities of 25 to 1,000 people represented by a tribal council, traditional village council, Native village, or incorporated nonprofit. Trapper Creek’s watering point project, for example, was funded and implemented through VSW.
• State Revolving Fund (SRF): Provides low-interest financing to community water systems (serving at least 25 people or 15 year-round service connections) or nonprofit non-community water systems that are rate-regulated by the Regulatory Commission of Alaska.

What would need to be done?

To move a project like this forward, a community would first need to identify an eligible entity to own and operate the system, as well as a suitable location for the facility. Each funding program has its own application process that must be completed before a project can be considered. Both the Village Safe Water (VSW) and State Revolving Fund (SRF) programs can provide support for planning, design, and construction.

 

In short, the community would need an organization willing to run the system, a site to build it on, and a completed funding application.

How much would it cost and who could help pay for it?

It isn’t possible to estimate a cost without first completing a planning study, since expenses vary depending on the source, location, and design of the system. Once a system is built, the owner is responsible for covering ongoing operations and maintenance costs through user fees or other revenue.

Before construction can be approved, the owner must also show that the system has the technical, financial, and managerial capacity to operate successfully. Unlike other types of utilities, there is no established subsidy program to cover ongoing costs for water and sewer systems.

In short, the actual price tag depends on planning and design, and while funding may be available to help with construction, the community or operating entity would ultimately need to pay for running and maintaining the system.

 

Any ideas of a good place a new well could be located?

The location of a new well would need to be determined through a formal planning effort. That process includes evaluating potential sites, testing water quality and quantity, and considering land availability and community needs.