Skip to content
Environmental Health and Engineering
Water and Sanitation
Content on this page
Clean water, healthier communities
Clean, affordable water should be available to everyone, but in rural Alaska, that can be easier said than done. Infants in communities with limited water service have five times more hospitalizations for respiratory infection and 11 times more hospitalizations for pneumonia than communities with full water service. Our water and sanitation programs are here to change that.
We provide world-class construction in some of the most remote parts of Alaska. From installing wells and septic systems in individual homes to providing whole communities with safe drinking water and healthy wastewater disposal for the first time, the work we do supports the health of Alaska Native people and their communities.
Services and Programs:
Individual Sanitation Facilities Scattered Sites Program
Our program works across Alaska to provide eligible homes with on-site sanitation facilities. We design and construct individual on-site water supply wells, cistern water storage systems, community sewer and water service line connections and wastewater systems such as septic tanks and drain fields.
Eligibility
- The project request is financially feasible
- You are Alaska Native or American Indian
- You own the land where the home is located or you have a long-term lease
- Your home is:
- New or like new condition
- Structurally sound
- Has continuous electrical power, not from a generator
- Defined as a 24-hour, year-round family dwelling
- Has interior plumbing
- Has thermostatically controlled heat (not only a wood stove)
Ownership/Lease Requirements
- The home must be rented or leased to an Alaska Native or American Indian person
- The home must be Tribally owned and the primary purpose of the resident is not to produce a profit
- The lease on the home must be at least five years and the lease price cannot increase because of newly installed facilities
- Homes owned by an Alaska Native or American Indian person but leased to a non-Native person are not eligible
- Homes owned by a non-Native but rented to an Alaska Native or American Indian person are not eligible
Scattered Sites Phases
First Phase – Environmental and Archaeology
The first step is to apply for preliminary approval by submitting your application. After you’ve been approved, we will complete environmental and archaeological research to confirm your eligibility.
Second Phase – Site Visit and Survey
In the initial site visit, an ANTHC representative will complete an assessment of the site and survey the property. Soil samples and sand percolation tests are completed, when appropriate.
Third Phase – Design
An ANTHC professional engineer will design a water and wastewater system specifically for your home. This will be based on the information gathered in the site visit and survey phase.
Fourth Phase – Construction
Construction is contracted out or completed by ANTHC staff. ANTHC will coordinate services for the summer and fall construction seasons.
How long will my service take?
The service can take anywhere from 18-24 months from the receipt of the application until construction is completed.
Application
Please email all pages of the completed application to DEHEapplications@anthc.org or fax 907-729-4473.
Portable Alternative Sanitation System (PASS) Project
Deficiencies in sanitation needed to be addressed to support the health needs of Kivalina residents. ANTHC worked with the community and partners to design, construct, and patent the Portable Alternative Sanitation System (PASS) as a solution.
The PASS system is designed to provide for basic water and sanitation needs in the home. PASS replaces the hand washing basin with treated flowing water from a bathroom sink. The PASS unit also eliminates the need for the honey bucket and thus reduces exposure to human waste.
Contact
How it Works
With this project, all water treatment and waste disposal happens in the home. Water is collected from rainwater catchment, melted ice, or water hauled from the river and stored in a treatment tank. It is distributed by gravity to low-flow sink and toilet fixtures. Flushed wastewater is separated into liquid and solid components where the liquid is disposed of into a seepage pit and dried solids are disposed of in the landfill.
The modular construction of the system facilitates quick installation and reduces construction costs; the system is mobile and can be moved with the home if and when needed. Most importantly, Kivalina residents will have access to water making their community healthier and more sustainable.
Project Final Report
Solid Waste and Resilience Sub Awards
Tribal Capacity and Training Program accepts applications for funding to carry out solid waste and resilience projects in rural Alaska communities. Funded recipients partner with the ANTHC Tribal Capacity and Training Program staff to complete their project.
The 2025 ANTHC Solid Waste & Resilience Grants were made possible through funding provided by the U.S. EPA under the Indian Environmental General Assistance Program (IGAP) Grant.
Awardees
Thank you to the communities who submitted applications for our 2024 Solid Waste and Resiliency Sub-awards, we are in the process of selecting recipients and we will notify you when we have finished our selection.
Tribal Water Center
We partner with Tribes across Alaska to ensure communities have safe and sustainable water services. How?
- Tribal capacity building
- Water Plant Operator training and technical assistance
- Health promotion
- Advocacy
- Health research
Our goal is to serve as a resource to maximize the health and well-being of Alaska Native people through water and sanitation services.
Contact
907-729-3673
tribalwatercenter@anthc.org
tribalwater.org
4500 Diplomacy Drive
Anchorage, AK 99508
Water and Wellness
Hand washing, cleaning and daily hygiene are all easier with regular access to adequate water for household use. But for many Alaska communities, water insecurity is a stark reality. Alaska has the lowest rate of in-home plumbing nationwide, with over 30 remote communities that are lacking system wide plumbing.
ANTHC is partnering with these communities to improve the water and wellness connections for more Alaska Native people.
Water is essential to your community’s health. We can help.
Contact us at: dehe@anthc.org for information on how to provide clean water to your community today.