Mat-Su Borough would spend $850,000 in fire reserves on Big Lake station water supply

The Mat-Su Borough Assembly will hold a public hearing Tuesday, Nov. 17, on an ordinance that would spend $850,000 from West Lakes Fire Service Area reserves to upgrade the water supply at Station 8-1 in Big Lake.

Crews use the station to refill fire trucks during emergencies. Its pump moves about 150 gallons per minute, far short of the 350 gallons per minute it needs, according to a borough information memorandum on the upgrade. The memo says the station's steel tank, estimated at 9,000 gallons, is well below the fire flow the Insurance Service Office requires, and that the system has reached the end of its serviceable life. The borough says the upgrade would improve firefighting in the Big Lake area and speed up refilling trucks.

The Assembly introduced the measure Oct. 20. The money would come from the service area's own reserve fund, and the borough's fiscal note lists no added staff or ongoing operating costs. The ordinance bars any spending until the Assembly approves a description of the work and a budget. A companion resolution on the same agenda would do that, covering design, earthwork, materials, construction and equipment.

AMC Engineers Inc. holds a contract, now about $107,000, for work on the tanks that refill fire trucks at Station 8-1 and Station 7-1 in Wasilla. A change to that contract switched the Big Lake tank design from steel to reinforced concrete. On Oct. 20 the Assembly extended the contract through June 30, 2028. Construction of the Big Lake tank is planned from spring 2027 to spring 2028, according to the memo extending the contract.

The hearing is part of the Assembly's regular meeting at 6 pm in Palmer. Residents can testify in person or by phone, or send written comments.