Mountain Village's boil water notice nears a year as the state seeks engineers for upgrades

The state is looking for engineers to design pump and water main upgrades for part of Mountain Village's water system, where low pressure has kept customers under a boil water notice for nearly a year.

Customers on both the village's upper and lower water loops have been under the notice since Nov. 17, 2025, because of pressure loss. It will stay in effect until pressure is restored and sampling shows no contamination, according to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, whose Village Safe Water Program issued the request for proposals. Proposals are due Nov. 25.

Part of the problem is height. Pressure on the Lower Loop is limited by the Middle Tank, which sits only 12 feet higher than the Middle Pump House, the request says. During a site visit, engineers recorded 14 psi on the loop's return side. The state requires 20.

The pipes are old, too. The Lower Loop was built with PVC pipe in the 1970s, and those lines have a history of freezing and breaking in winter. Projects over the last 20 years replaced parts of them, but about 4,800 feet of four-inch PVC line is still in service.

The city chose two options from a preliminary engineering report that KUNA finalized in June. One would reconfigure the Middle Pump House with new control valves, new pumps and electrical and control upgrades. The other would replace about 5,500 feet of six-inch main with HDPE arctic water line and add eight flush hydrants.

The state allows 21 months for the design alone. The contract would run from Feb. 1, 2027, through Oct. 31, 2030, and the state estimates it at $500,000 to $1 million. The state may end the contract after the design phase. Federal grants are funding some or all of the project.