Drinking Water Program Engineering
The Drinking Water Program engineers review the design, construction, and operation of public water systems to ensure public health is protected. We strive to effectively and efficiently help public water systems in their implementation of regulatory requirements with predictability, thoughtfulness, and clarity while allowing for site specific conditions when possible.
What We Do
The Drinking Water Program has engineers and support staff in four offices across the state. Engineering staff generally work on the following:
- Classify water systems (i.e., private vs. public)
- Review public water system engineering plans for construction and operational approval
- Review and approve separation distance waiver requests
- Provide technical assistance to public water system owners and operators and their engineers
- Inspect public water systems and provide guidance to ensure public water systems are operated in an optimal manner that is protective of public health
- Conduct sanitary survey inspections
- Investigate complaints and enforce drinking water regulations
- Perform other duties such as helping with emergency response, trainings, and community outreach
New Public Water Systems—First Step
If a water system will serve something other than a single family home or duplex and will operate 60 or more days per year, the owner may need to fill out a Drinking Water Classification form (PDF) to have the Drinking Water Program determine if the water system will be regulated as a public water system. More information on what constitutes a public water system can be found here: https://dec.alaska.gov/eh/dw/information/. All public water systems must undergo engineering plan review and approval from the Drinking Water Program before constructing and operating the system or any new or modified system components. Please visit https://dec.alaska.gov/eh/dw/engineering/plan-review/ for more information on the water system classification process and engineering approvals or contact Drinking Water Engineering Staff.
Engineering Plan Review—What Is It?
The purpose of engineering plan review of a public water system is to verify the proposed or existing system meets minimum engineering standards, state and federal regulations, and drinking water quality standards. The plan review process for a public water system consists of 2 major stages:
- Construction approval
- Operation approval
A public water system owner or their engineer must request and obtain construction approval from the Drinking Water Program before constructing or modifying any part of a water system. After construction is completed, the public water system or their engineer must request and obtain operational approval before the newly constructed water system or components are placed into service. Two types of operational approvals can be requested: 1) an interim approval to operate (typically issued for 90 days) to allow the public water system to operate in compliance while gathering relevant documentation for a final approval to operate request that may take longer to prepare, or 2) a final approval to operate, which requires submitting all conditions and requirements (including engineering record drawings); these requirements are typically listed in the construction and interim approval letters.
A plan review takes approximately 30 days but can vary greatly depending on office workload and completeness of the submittal. Details on the plan review process can be found here: https://dec.alaska.gov/eh/dw/engineering/plan-review/.
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