State approves sewer pipe replacement in West Anchorage neighborhood

The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation has cleared the way for Alaska Water and Wastewater Utility to replace aging sewer pipes in a West Anchorage neighborhood without additional environmental review.

The project will rehabilitate 1,202 feet of sewer pipe installed in 1966 and 1991 along West 42nd, 43rd and 44th avenues between Aero and Constellation avenues. The existing 8-inch asbestos concrete and ductile iron pipes have reached the end of their useful life.

Crews will use a combination of open-cut replacement and cured-in-place pipe lining. Excavations will reach 7 to 12 feet deep and 10 to 15 feet wide in areas requiring full pipe replacement. The work includes installing new connections, landscaping and restoring affected areas.

The department determined the project qualifies for a categorical exclusion because it will not change the treatment capacity of the existing system, affect cultural resources or endangered species habitat, or cause significant public controversy.

The determination took effect April 21 and can be revoked if new information emerges. The project will be funded through a Clean Water State Revolving Fund loan, though the loan number has not yet been assigned.

For documentation supporting the decision, contact Adele Fetter, environmental impact analyst, at 907-269-7428 or [email protected]. The department's State Revolving Fund Program office is at 555 Cordova Street in Anchorage.