More About Water

Village Safe Water (Go to Home Page)

• Allocation and Distribution of funding for sanitation facilities.
  Funding grants to small communities for water and sewer studies and construction projects.
• Grant Administration
  Ensure appropriate and effective use of grant funds.
• Project Oversight, Monitoring and Control
  One of two agencies responsible for project oversight (along with the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium)

Municipal Grants and Loans (Go to Home Page)

• Municipal Grants Program (Go to Home Page)
  Assigning a project engineer to assist with plans, designs, construction, and regulations.
  Providing grants for facility planning and construction.
• Municipal Loan Program (Go to Home Page)
  Providing low-interest loans up to 20 years in duration for projects or eligible portions of projects.
  Providing refinancing of eligible projects.
  Assigning a project engineer to assist with plans, designs, construction, and regulations.
  Assuring timely reimbursement for construction expenditures.
  Ensuring appropriate and effective use of loan funds.

Operations Assistance (Go to Home Page)

• Operator Training and Certification Program (Go to Home Page)
  Develop training curricula, correspondence courses, certification standards, and examination materials for over 2,500 certified drinking water and wastewater system operators.
  Coordinate and notify operators of training opportunities.
  Work with the Alaska Water and Wastewater Advisory Board to establish standards for certifying operators and to adjudicate certification actions.
  Maintain a lending library of reference and training materials.
  Administer Semi-Annual Statewide Certification Exams.
• Remote Maintenance Worker Program (Go to Home Page)
  Provide over-the-shoulder training and technical assistance to local water and sewer operators in over 180 rural communities through a circuit rider program.
  Provide immediate response to emergency situations that threaten or impact community water and sewerage facilities.
  Provide regional classroom training for area utility operators.
  Maintain an inventory of emergency repair equipment for loan to communities.

Compliance (Go to Home Page)

The Compliance and Enforcement Program will assure compliance with APDES permit and program requirements by using a combination of compliance monitoring, compliance assistance, compliance incentives, and enforcement.

Cruise Ship (Go to Home Page)

• Permits wastewater discharges from large cruise ships
• Ensures cruise ships and State ferries comply with visible emission standards
• Oversees the Alaska Ocean Ranger Program that monitors compliance with environmental standards, safety, and sanitation issues
• Conducts scientific research to assess impact of cruise ship wastewater on Alaska's environment

APDES Primacy (Go to Home Page)

• Develop standard operating procedures, guidance, and policies to implement the state's Alaska Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (APDES) Program.
• Monitor revisions to federal laws, regulations, and policies relating to implementation of the APDES Program.
• Serve as a liaison between DEC and EPA staff.
• Provide outreach and information to the public and Tribes regarding the APDES Program.

Wastewater Discharge Authorization (Go to Home Page)

• Issue permits and monitor compliance with State permits for wastewater discharges.
• Certify that permits for wastewater discharges issued by the US Environmental Protection Agency comply with State water quality law.
• Inspect permitted facilities to verify compliance and help operators comply with their permits.
• Cruise ship registration and regulation.
• Improve online permitting and permit fee payment services.

Water Quality Standards Assessment and Restoration (Go to Home Page)

• Protect the waters of the State of Alaska from pollutants.
• Help people understand the Water Quality Standards regulations and how they are used.
• Provide easy access to the regulations, proposed revisions, fact sheets, technical papers, and issues that may be of interest.