PFAS found in three Anchorage Bowl wells, one pulled from service

Anchorage's water utility has found PFAS in three of its high-production groundwater wells in the Anchorage Bowl and taken one out of service, according to its 2026 budget. The other two tested below the federal limit the government has proposed for drinking water.

PFAS are long-lasting industrial chemicals, used for decades in firefighting foam and stain- and water-resistant products, that don't readily break down in the environment or the body. Anchorage Water & Wastewater Utility says it has put controls on all three wells and is looking at treatment options.

The detections are limited to groundwater. The Eklutna Water Treatment Facility, which supplies about 92% of the water for the Anchorage Bowl, the Northern Communities and Eagle River, has found no PFAS in its Eklutna Lake and Ship Creek supply.

Private wells are a separate problem. Wells in the Tanaina Hills Subdivision tested positive, and residents asked the utility to connect them to city water so they could abandon their own. A $5.1 million state project to run a new water main, service connections and hydrants to the subdivision sits on Alaska's drinking water priority list as a fully forgivable loan.

That money isn't assured. Requests for contaminant projects statewide came to $30 million against $20.6 million available, and the utility told an Assembly committee that awards go first come, first served.