Anchorage Assembly to consider $1.7 million to design fix for Girdwood's drinking water well

The Anchorage Assembly will consider adding $1.7 million on Oct. 6 to design a fix for Girdwood's primary drinking water well, which must meet federal surface water treatment rules. The contract amendment is on the Assembly's consent agenda.

The Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility would amend its engineering contract with CRW Engineering Group, raising it from $969,625 to about $2.7 million and moving the completion date from the end of 2026 to Dec. 31, 2030. The money would pay for final design of the chosen water system, including surveying, geotechnical investigations, property acquisition support, permitting, bidding documents and construction-phase services. The administration recommends approval.

The municipality awarded the contract in 2019 for a well rehabilitation project, including a test well and a study of treatment and supply options.

The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation later found that Well 2 is groundwater under the direct influence of surface water. That means surface water can reach the well, so federal rules require filtration and disinfection. In November 2022, the utility signed a compliance order with the state, a negotiated agreement that sets milestones for engineering plans, construction and approval of a compliant treatment plant.

The utility then widened its search for well sources across the Girdwood Valley, weighing capacity, reliability and backup supply. The memo says the work took "substantially more effort than originally anticipated." Engineers settled on a new groundwater source, a replacement backup well and a new treatment facility near the existing wells.

Two earlier amendments, in July 2022 and February 2025, extended deadlines at no cost. The new money would come from the water utility's capital budget, and the memo says it won't affect funding for other capital projects.

The design work is one piece of a larger project. A utility presentation to the Assembly in April 2025 put the overall cost at a preliminary $15 million to $20 million.