Alaska Problems Require Alaska Solutions Local businesses rally to address water crisis in Tuluksak By Julie Stricker
Judy Patrick Photography | Donlin
TR ANSP ORTATION SPECIAL SEC TION
O
n January 16, a fire destroyed the water plant and washeteria in the southwest Alaska village of Tuluksak. For the village of about 350 people, it was a devastating blow. The water plant was the only source of drinking water in the village, in which the primarily Yup’ik residents lack indoor plumbing and rely on honey buckets, not uncommon in the flat, swampy region. With COVID-19 raging through the region at the time— one-third of village residents had already tested positive—having enough water for even basic sanitation needs, as well as drinking water, was of the utmost importance. Tuluksak is located on the Tuluksak River, a tributary of the Kuskokwim River about 37 air miles upstream from Bethel, the regional hub. There are no roads to the village, except for a seasonal ice road on the river if conditions are good, so most freight must be flown or barged in. Winters in the region are harsh, and snowfall was especially heavy this winter, according to officials. The village was additionally hampered by the fact that the person responsible for keeping the runway plowed had been medevacked to Anchorage with COVID-19 complications.
36 | June 2021
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
