Performance Details

Department of Environmental Conservation - Water Quality, Infrastructure Support & Financing

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Mission

Protect water quality and assist communities in improving sanitation conditions.

Core Services

• Identify, abate, and control water pollution in a cost effective, accountable manner to protect public health and preserve the many uses of Alaska"s waters.
• Assist communities in providing sustainable water, sewer, and solid waste services in full regulatory compliance.

Mission Results	Core Services
A: Identify, abate, and control water pollution in a cost effective, accountable manner to protect public health and preserve the many uses of Alaska"s waters. Details >	A1: Identify, abate, and control water pollution in a cost effective, accountable manner to protect public health and preserve the many uses of Alaska"s waters. Details > TARGET #1: 90% of polluted waterbodies have active stewardship, protection, and restoration activities each year. TARGET #2: All Federal water dischargers managed by the State have current permits/authorizations. TARGET #3: All discharges through onsite wastewater systems to state waters are reviewed and authorized. TARGET #4: All inspected facilities have performed follow-up actions required by inspection reports.
Mission Results	Core Services
B: Assist communities in providing sustainable water, sewer, and solid waste services in full regulatory compliance. Details >	B1: Assist communities in providing sustainable water, sewer, and solid waste services in full regulatory compliance. Details > TARGET #1: 85% of regulated systems comply with drinking water supply system operator certification requirements. TARGET #2: All rural Alaska communities are served by safe and sustainable sanitation facilities.

Performance Detail

Target #1: 90% of polluted waterbodies have active stewardship, protection, and restoration activities each year. Methodology: Stewardship, protection and restoration projects may be conducted by grantees who have received funds through the Alaska Clean Water Actions (ACWA) grant program, by contractors, by other state agencies, or by DEC personnel. The number of these projects is then divided by the number of total polluted waters as determined in the Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report to calculate the percentage of waters with active restoration projects. Analysis of results and challenges: Every two years the Division submits the Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report (Integrated Report) to EPA. This report summarizes the health of Alaska`s waters and finalizes pollution control plans for impaired waters. Plans are typically community driven and involve multiple partners, pollutants, and goals. Each Integrated Report is the culmination of two or more years of work across different sections within the Division of Water. A public notice soliciting water quality data for the 2024 Integrated Report was published during the winter of 2022-2023. The data received was analyzed, and results were compiled into a draft report, which was open for public comment during the summer of 2024. Two Anchorage streams, Little Campbell Creek and Chester Creek, which were already categorized as impaired for fecal coliform impairment, were proposed for additional impairments due to exceedances of Alaska`s pathogens standard for E. coli. Two impaired waters, Birch Creek (Ikhèenjik River) and Little Survival Creek, are proposed as attaining Alaska Water Quality Standards based on new data. Two waters, Kuskokwim River and Red Devil Creek, are proposed to move from impaired without a recovery plan to impaired with an alternative recovery plan to begin remedial activities at the nearby Red Devil Mine. The 2024 Integrated Report was submitted to EPA on September 18, 2024 for impaired water list approval. The chart above does not reflect the 2024 Integrated Report as it is still considered draft. The challenges to remediating impaired waters are numerous. Many of the impaired waterbodies have protection plans in place, though no active restoration can occur due to the nature of the impairment. Waters impacted by the 1989 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill are one example, with 34 waterbodies listed as impaired due to the immediate and long-term pollution related to spilled oil. These waters have undergone mechanical, chemical, and natural processes to address the oil and it`s impacts for the last 35 years. In FY2024, the Division was awarded an Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council grant for re-evaluation of waters impacted as a result of the 1989 spill. Over 3 years, this grant will allow the Division to review recent data on 34 impaired waterbodies to determine if impairments still exist. A contract was put in place to kick off a literature review and compile geographic information from recent scientific studies. Current work is focused on developing an Integrated Report Listing Methodology for lingering oil which spells out the process of data evaluation. All data generated from this project will be reflect in future Integrated Reports. Grants to fund work on high priority waters are available through the Alaska Clean Water Actions (ACWA) program, which is a cooperative effort with the Department of Fish and Game and the Department of Natural Resources. The ACWA program provides a consolidated and efficient approach for improving or protecting the health of a waterbody. Likewise, it provides a means to coordinate the use of State and federal pass-through funds so that they can be directed to those projects that represent the State"s priorities. ACWA projects work with local organizations or agencies and may complete individual tasks identified in a pollution control plan, conduct follow-up surveys after remediation, or assess new waterbodies for health. ACWA grant funds prioritize work to restore impaired water quality and prevent future water pollution. New AWCA grant project solicitations occur every two years with the most recent in the fall of 2024. To-date, over 350 water quality projects have been funded through the ACWA grant program since 2001. Target Last Modified: 11/15/2024

Target #2: All Federal water dischargers managed by the State have current permits/authorizations. Methodology: Environmental Data Management System (EDMS) — Alaska managed permits only. For the purposes of this performance measure, administratively extended permits are not considered current. Federal Water Discharge Permits and Authorizations Fiscal Year Facilities Regulated Permitted/Authorized % Permitted/Authorized FY 2024 2329 1961 84 FY 2023 4709 4479 95 FY 2022 5193 4145 80 FY 2021 3888 2818 72% FY 2020 3,553 2,765 78% FY 2019 3,462 2,905 84% FY 2018 3,457 3,021 87% FY 2017 4,835 4,277 88% FY 2016 5,037 4,270 85% FY 2015 6,315 5,492 87% Analysis of results and challenges: Since the Department began primacy assumption in 2008 for administering wastewater discharge permits to waters of the United States in Alaska, it has made substantial progress in issuing current permits. Permits issued under the Clean Water Act have an expiration not greater than five years, but the Department has authority to administratively extend permits beyond their expiration date if the permit still meets regulatory requirements and is protective of human health and the environment. The Department must balance the need to reissue permits within the five-year window with work to develop new permits in response to applicant needs or modify current permits which require immediate attention to remain protective of human health and the environment. The Department evaluates each permit task against available resources and applicant need to develop a projected permit issuance plan each year. A permit being on administrative extension is not an accurate indicator of that permit`s efficacy, and vice versa. Since primacy assumption began, the backlog of administratively extended permits has steadied, but the remaining extended permits are complex and controversial, with several having a history of litigation and appeal. Overall, the Department"s percentage of current permits is significantly greater than the percentage EPA was able to maintain while administering the program in Alaska. The variability from year to year results from the fact that a single general permit can have hundreds of authorizations under the cover of the general permit. When high-authorization general permits get administratively extended, it can drastically impact the number considered current for this measure. Additionally, the number of authorizations under general permits changes from year to year since many discharges are temporary in nature such as construction stormwater, seafood, and placer mining industries. The Department has largely stabilized this value at an average of 82 percent over the past five fiscal years. This level is among the higher values provided by other states across the nation. In FY2023, the Division deployed a comprehensive new database for permit status and compliance tracking. In FY2024 the Division incorporated efforts in data validation which combined with the variability in the fluctuation of general permit authorizations is reflected in the reduction in facilities regulated. The new database more accurately validates permit data and provides more comprehensive reporting. Target Last Modified: 11/15/2024

Target #3: All discharges through onsite wastewater systems to state waters are reviewed and authorized. Methodology: Data from 2014-2018 was generated using SEPTS (a decommissioned state database), data from 2019 to present was generated using financial records, data from 2023 was calculated from a mix of financial records and the Electronic Data Management System. State Regulated Onsite Wastewater Systems - Authorization/Approvals Year Authorizations Plan Review Approvals Column 3 Column 4 YTD Column 6 Column 7 2023 1286 325 0 0 0 0 0 2022 1739 316 0 0 0 0 0 2021 1938 332 0 0 0 0 0 2020 1871 320 0 0 0 0 0 2019 1873 403 0 0 0 0 0 2018 1715 391 0 0 0 0 0 2017 1771 424 0 0 0 0 0 2016 2150 505 0 0 0 0 0 2015 1915 493 0 0 0 0 0 Analysis of results and challenges: Onsite wastewater treatment and disposal systems that discharge to state waters are regulated by the Department. Through 18 AAC 72 the Department either conducts engineering plan reviews or authorizes systems. Engineering plan reviews are required when systems exceed a certain size, discharge non-domestic waste, are located in challenging environments, or discharge directly to a surface waterbody. Many onsite systems are allowed to be installed without plan review if prescriptive construction standards are followed, those systems are authorized by rule and registered with the Department. The number of onsite systems installed each year is influenced by many factors beyond DEC control, such as home sales, new construction, job markets, and other economic drivers. Authorizations by rule systems are generally conventional septic systems, authorizing these systems rely on self-reporting during installation or prompting through real estate transactions. The Department does not have the capacity to inspect individual home throughout Alaska, nor does the Department want to place an undue burden on Alaskan families. The Department conducts outreach, provides the required training for septic installers, and routinely works with homeowners to come into compliance. In October 2023, the Department updated Domestic Wastewater regulations, this included a major reorganization. Throughout the winter and spring, the Department updated and prepared new outreach and training material to ensure homeowners and the industry understand the increased flexibility and new regulations. Certified Installers are now allowed to conduct percolation tests on soils, rather than hiring Engineers to perform this work. The Department worked with the University of Alaska Fairbanks to develop soils identification and percolation test, and 30 Certified Installers volunteered to go through a pilot training program as part of their annual license renewal. In April 2023 the Division initiated a new electronic database which led to a delay in submittals and processing of authorizations. This change resulted in different ways of counting submittals as well, rather than when the submittal was paid the count is based off when it was authorized. Target Last Modified: 11/15/2024

Target #4: All inspected facilities have performed follow-up actions required by inspection reports. Methodology: DEC staff log inspection information into the Environmental Data Management System. The percentage is calculated from the actual occurrence of follow-up actions reported by DEC staff, divided by the number of inspected facilities where follow-up actions were required. Analysis of results and challenges: During FY2024, the Division of Water inspected 271 facilities. Of the facilities with completed inspection reports, 215 received inspection reports that required follow-up actions identified in a Compliance Letter, Notice of Violation, or Notice of Enforcement. Of facilities where follow-up actions were required, 83% of the permittees performed the follow-up actions and 17% are still outstanding as of the date the data was collected. Of the facilities which have pending enforcement action deliverables, 14 have been referred for formal enforcement proceedings (around 5% of inspections). Typically, formal enforcement actions require additional time for deliverables, such as Engineering Support and Plan Review, municipal funding approval, or other compliance activity largely out of the permittees direct control regarding the timeline. Target Last Modified: 11/15/2024

Target #1: 85% of regulated systems comply with drinking water supply system operator certification requirements. Methodology: The number of water supply systems that employ an operator certified at the correct level is divided by the total number of water supply systems that are subject to this requirement. Analysis of results and challenges: The State"s Operator Certification program classifies water systems based on the size and complexity of a system and determines whether operators have experience and knowledge commensurate with the system"s classification. Certification validates that water system operators have the qualifications necessary to safeguard public health. The Operator Certification program offers training and administers examinations to assist operators with achieving certification. Although the Operator Certification program oversees certification in water treatment, water distribution, wastewater treatment, and wastewater collection, this measure is limited to drinking water supply system certification as public health is most closely related to drinking water safety. This measure also excludes systems with less than 25 users or systems where users obtain water on a house-by-house basis (private wells or rain catchments), since those systems are not subject to Operator Certification requirements. The program places an emphasis on notifying systems of certification requirements, increasing the availability of exams for operators, and promoting operator training opportunities. Through these efforts, the percentage of systems employing properly certified operators has remained greater than 80% for 13 of the past 14 years. Several factors affect compliance rates, including frequent turnover of system operators, rising travel costs which inhibit operator travel to certification training, and increasing complexity of systems which drives up the certification requirements. Recognizing full compliance is unlikely given these challenges, the program has adopted 85% compliance as the target to achieve and maintain. In FY2024, the overall compliance rate increased slightly compared to FY2023, with the highest rate of compliance since pre-COVID pandemic rates in SFY19. Progress was made in bringing some long-standing non-compliant systems into compliance, which was offset by operator turnover in other systems, operators not meeting the continuing education requirement for certificate renewal, and new systems coming online without a properly certified operator. The Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act allocated substantial increased funding the State Revolving Fund Program, a portion of which can be allocated towards assisting water systems in their efforts to attain and maintain adequate technical, financial, and managerial capacity to successfully and safely operate and maintain their systems. In addition to current efforts, the program is moving forward with initiatives that will improve outreach to systems and increase technical assistance opportunities for operators. As these new initiatives are developed and implemented, the program anticipates an increase in the number of systems with properly certified operators. Target Last Modified: 11/15/2024

Target #2: All rural Alaska communities are served by safe and sustainable sanitation facilities. Methodology: DEC staff tracks the number of served and unserved communities as well as those funded for construction. A community is considered served when 55% or more year-round occupied homes have running water via pipes, a closed haul system, or individual septic tanks and wells . Safe and Sustainable Sanitation Facilities in Rural Alaska Fiscal Year Served Communities Unserved Communities In Process YTD Total FY 2024 163 17 15 0 FY 2023 162 21 12 195 FY 2022 162 26 7 195 FY 2021 161 27 7 195 FY 2020 161 28 6 195 FY 2019 161 29 5 195 FY 2018 161 28 5 194 FY 2017 159 30 5 194 FY 2016 159 32 3 194 Analysis of results and challenges: The Village Safe Water (VSW) program continues its work to achieve the goal of providing in-home running water and sewer service to year-round occupied homes in rural Alaska communities. This service has historically been provided by centralized piped, closed haul systems, or individual septic tanks/wells. Since the baseline year of 2016, three unserved communities have received service and are no longer considered unserved. Additionally, 15 communities are currently funded for service, with projects in various stages of design and construction (3 are under construction with an estimated completion date in calendar years 2025-2026; the other 12 communities are in pre-design or the early stages of design, with completion dates estimated in calendar years 2027-2033). In recent years, the pace of progress had slowed as the cost of constructing centralized systems in unserved communities escalated and the substantial challenges to serving the remaining communities in terms of site conditions, capital costs, and local operational capacity. Additionally, an increasing share of total available funding has been needed in recent years to pay for necessary upgrades to existing water and sewer systems, making less funds available for constructing systems that will provide first-time service to homes. However, federal funding through the American Rescue Plan administered by the Indian Health Service (IHS) was allocated to develop comprehensive Preliminary Engineer Reports (PERs) to evaluate the various alternatives for providing piped water and sewer to the remaining unserved communities. These evaluations are meant to inform funding decisions, including the allocation of Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) funds administered by IHS. Nationally, IIJA included $3.5 billion in IHS funding to address identified sanitation deficiencies, including the need for first time service in rural Alaskan communities. Several PERs were completed in SFY24, resulting in an increase in the number of communities that currently have funding for design and construction of first service project. Target Last Modified: 11/15/2024

Last refreshed: 05/12/2025 05:00 pm