Kodiak Borough considers water system permit for Karluk village

The Kodiak Island Borough Planning and Zoning Commission took up a conditional use permit Wednesday for the Native Village of Karluk to replace its deteriorating water treatment facility with a new modular system designed to provide year-round potable water.

The project would replace an existing storage tank, water mains, and service lines. The site sits on a 711-acre split-zoned parcel held in trust by the State of Alaska for any future city in Karluk, with the Native Village of Karluk acting as authorized agent. A conditional use permit is required because the parcel is split between the C-Conservation District and the W-Watershed District, and utility facilities require such a permit within the Conservation District portion.

Staff recommended approval of Resolution No. FY2026-022, finding the project meets borough code and improves public health. The staff report concluded the permit "will not be harmful to the public health, safety, convenience and comfort because the proposed use will improve the quality and safety of the public water supply for the Village of Karluk."

The proposed use has received conditional approval from the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation. The permit lapses if the Native Village of Karluk does not obtain a zoning compliance permit and begin work within two years of the commission's action. Public notices were mailed to 29 adjacent property owners on May 15, 2026.

Contamination Concern Nearby

Staff noted in the application materials that Borough Engineering and Facilities contacted the applicant's representative to flag a separate cleanup underway at the Karluk school site, where a contaminated underground storage tank is being remediated in close proximity to the proposed new water lines. The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation is aware of both projects, according to the staff report, and borough staff said the two teams are in contact.

Village Context

Karluk sits along the Karluk River drainage on Kodiak Island, surrounded by Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, 88 miles southwest of Kodiak city. The village's public drinking water system carries the state identifier AK2250087. Rural Alaska Native villages across the state have faced long-running deficits in water and wastewater infrastructure. The USDA has invested more than $396 million in Alaska sanitation and drinking water systems since 2009, according to a federal press release.

No public comments were received on the permit application before the June 17 hearing.