Kenai, Alaska
The drinking water in Kenai, AK, looked and tasted bad. It was ironic that this small city of approximately 8,000 is located in pristine scenery 150 miles south of Anchorage, but had water you drank at your own risk.
Two of the city’s three public wells had high levels of arsenic that exceeded Environmental Protection Agency standards, which went into effect in 2006 after studies found long-term low-level exposure to the chemical can cause health problems, including cancer. Although the third well complied with EPA standards for acceptable levels of arsenic, it turned the water brown.
In 2007, the city manager and staff set out to find new sources of water that would be clean, clear, and safe.
It wasn’t easy. The new well site would have to have good water volume and pressure, low color, no contaminants, and low arsenic levels. Nature didn’t help in this regard because the geology of the Kenai Peninsula naturally produces higher levels of arsenic.
After testing multiple sites and options, the city decided to take the arsenic-laden wells offline, build a new water treatment plant to clean up the color in the remaining well, and build a new well that complied with EPA standards.
The plan was well-received by the community and in 2012 Kenai residents were able to lift a glass of cool, clean water in a toast to city management.
Meet the Manager
