New Saxman waste water system provides efficient health solution for Ketchikan Gateway Borough
April 8, 2019
ANTHC partnerships with the Ketchikan Gateway Borough and the City of Saxman have led to the completion of a new wastewater collection system that replaces aging infrastructure in the community. ANTHC partnered with the borough and city to lead the construction effort, which included replacing three existing ocean outfalls, construction of three community sewer lift stations and 16 manholes, and installation of approximately 5,200 feet of buried sewer mains.
The added infrastructure in Saxman enables sections of the Ketchikan Gateway Borough that were previously unconnected to water infrastructure to link up with existing sewer piping, making the wastewater collection system more efficient, lowering operational costs and providing a public health solution that keeps communities healthier.
This new development in wastewater collection was not without its challenges: the construction effort had to avoid disturbing wildlife, occasionally blast and bore into bedrock, and negotiate heavy traffic on the active highway between Saxman and the community of Ketchikan. In order not to disturb the nesting eagles located near the project site and avoid the tourist season, construction crews couldn’t work during the summer months, which are prime months for construction. Instead, crews worked through the inclement weather of the shoulder seasons and were able to complete the project on schedule, providing the City of Saxman and the borough with much-needed new infrastructure.