Septic tank and outfall project improves quality of life in Angoon
April 17, 2019
As ANTHC’s latest sanitation project in Angoon nears completion, critical infrastructure upgrades are beginning to improve quality of life for the whole community. Angoon’s new, custom-built septic tank and outfall pipe are up and running, diverting waste from sensitive areas previously impacted by deficiencies in the old system. Mabel Jack, a community Elder whose yard had suffered wastewater discharges for years, enjoys a clean property. Area birds that formerly fed in contaminated areas are no longer enticed by wastewater spills. The new outfall pipe protects Angoon’s beaches from septic leakage, while the new 30,000-gallon septic tank will extend the service life of Angoon’s wastewater system.
The project has presented a number of unique challenges, including fabrication, delivery and installation of the tank. Its unusual size required custom fabrication out of state. ANTHC contracted with California-based Xerxes Corporation, an industry leader in composite storage engineering and anti-corrosion technology, to build the tank. ANTHC engineers traveled to Xerxes’ production facility to ensure that our design specifications were being met. Transport logistics were equally complicated, as the tank had to be barged up to Angoon, loaded onto a lowboy boom truck and then craned into place. In spite of these challenges, ANTHC was able to provide uninterrupted water and sewer service to the City of Angoon for the duration of the project. In every phase, ANTHC has remained committed to engineering high-quality solutions to meet rural Alaska’s sanitation needs.