Connecting with the community in Eek on water and sanitation

June 25, 2018

“My first words were, ‘It’s so nice to have running water!’” said Eek Elder Xenia Black about having running water for the first time. “Before, I had to tell my son to haul water and do laundry, and he had to do it with a wheelbarrow. It’s nice to wash dishes, make coffee, and do lots of laundry. I don’t have to call my niece and nephew to come and take me to the laundromat.”

The occasion is meaningful, since the house she is living in was her mother’s house. Generations of people who grew up in Eek without running water now will have in-home water service.

Last year in Eek, about 40 houses received first time water and sewer service, which included new or upgraded interior plumbing for kitchens and bathrooms. The project also installed a new raw water intake, built a water circulation building and made interior plumbing improvements in homes. This year, ANTHC Environmental Health and Engineering plans to connect an additional 32 houses to the water and sewer system. ANTHC engineers are also designing upgrades to the water treatment plant, a new maintenance shop and closure of the honey bucket lagoon.

To kick-off the construction season, ANTHC’s National Tribal Water Center collaborated with the Eek construction team to host an event for the community in early May. The construction kick-off event had nearly 130 attendees and was an opportunity for community members to meet the construction team, hear updates on the project, and share questions or concerns.

In addition to the community event, James Temte and Marleah LaBelle of the National Tribal Water Center spent a day with students at the Eek School. The classroom activities included teaching younger students about the water cycle and watercolor painting, explaining source water and water treatment with a water filter activity, and sharing postsecondary education opportunities and ANTHC career opportunities with high school students.