Newtok Planning Group Mertarvik Water/Sewer Infrastructure Mertarvik Water/Sewer Study Reports Final Well Test, October 2007 Mertarvik Geophysical Investigation, April 2007 Planning for water and sewer systems at Mertarvik is critical to efficient, orderly development at Mertarvik. Because homes at Newtok are not plumbed for water and wastewater, the ability to have these amenities at Mertarvik is extremely important to the community. The community has been considering alternative systems that that residents can operate and maintain. Portable Alternative Sanitation System (PASS) PASS units will be installed in 8 existing and 13 new homes in Mertarvik in Summer 2019. PASS provides in home water storage and treatment, running water for hand washing, and waste-separating toilets. They will be used in Mertarvik’s homes before piped water and sewer is supplied to the community. In PASS’s separating toilet, liquid waste is diverted to a seepage pit and solid waste is dried through an integrated ventilation system, reducing odors and allowing disposal in the landfill. This system is not considered a replacement for a piped water system, but rather will provide basic sanitation needs: handwashing, and improved human waste disposal until funding for running water is secured. Drawing: ANTHC Mertarvik Water Wells Mertarvik is blessed with a pristine ground water source and topography that lends itself well to gravity-fed water and sewer systems. Engineers have suggested that locating the base of the community water storage tank at least 150 feet above the elevation of the foundation of the highest home in the village would allow for a completely gravity-driven water distribution system that will provide sufficient pressure (60 psi at the highest point of the system) for residential use. Once the water from the community well is pumped up to the storage tank, there will be no electrical requirements. Two wells drilled at Mertarvik indicate there may not be a need for a water treatment plant. The well water is high quality as the levels of Primary Inorganic Chemical Contaminants are all below the regulatory standard. Since this is a ground water source, the distribution system may not need to be chlorinated either. The first test well drilled at Mertarvik. Photo: Sally Russell Cox Drill rigs near the Mertarvik Evacuation Center. Photo: Bob Lundell, DOT/PF Contact for More Information Sally Russell Cox Division of Community and Regional Affairs Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development 550 West 7th Avenue, Suite 1650 Anchorage, AK 99501 Phone: (907) 269-4588 FAX: (907) 269-4563 Email:sally.cox@alaska.gov