State seeks engineers to design Mountain Village water-pressure fixes

The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation's Village Safe Water Program is seeking an engineering firm to design pump and water main upgrades for Mountain Village's Lower Loop. Proposals are due Nov. 25 at 2 pm.

Customers on both the upper and lower loops have been under a boil water notice since Nov. 17, 2025, because of pressure loss. The notice will stay in effect until pressure is restored and sampling shows no contamination, the department says.

During a site visit, the firm that developed a preliminary engineering report, finalized by KUNA in June, recorded 14 psi on the Lower Loop's return side, according to the request for proposals. The state requires 20 psi. The request says pressure is limited by the Middle Tank, which sits only 12 feet higher than the Middle Pump House.

The Lower Loop was built with PVC pipe in the 1970s. Those lines have a history of winter freeze-ups and breakage, the request says. Several projects over the last 20 years replaced parts of the PVC mains, but about 4,800 feet of four-inch PVC line remains in service.

The city chose two options from the report. The design would reconfigure the Middle Pump House, including new control valves, new pumps and electrical and control upgrades. It would also replace about 5,500 feet of six-inch main with HDPE arctic water line and add eight flush hydrants.

The state will score proposals on understanding, approach and staff, not price. The project is funded in part or fully through federal grants, and the request includes a five-point preference for qualified minority and women-owned firms.

The contract runs Feb. 1, 2027, through Oct. 31, 2030. The state estimates it at $500,000 to $1 million and gives the design alone 21 months. It may end the contract after the design phase.