Few System Assessment of Onsite Water Reuse in Remote Alaska

Nearly 30 remote Alaskan communities remain without in-home running water. These communities have greater occurrence of water-related illness than other US communities. Further, these communities are located off-grid (no roads or inter-community power grid) and are populated by Alaska Natives that practice a subsistence lifestyle. The Alaska Water Sewer Challenge developed on an onsite water reuse system that may be able to reduce water related illness rate through increased in-home water availability without changing current water haul practices. From the prospective of the Food-Energy-Water (FEW) System, while onsite water reuse system increases water availability, community electrical energy use will increase. With the increased water availability, there a decrease in water related illness is likely and will enable greater subsistence activities (i.e. more food collection through physical activity). While this appears to be a win from the prospective of the homeowner, there are likely personal economic ramifications and impacts to community infrastructure related to this change. While homeowner labor associated with water & wastewater haul is unchanged, electricity or diesel fuel cost will rise to operate the water reuse system (this may even be further exacerbated if increase subsistence harvests require more freezer space). From the community prospective, the typical remote Alaskan community is powered by aging diesel generators, increased electrical load from a water reuse system located at each home may overload the electrical infrastructure without careful consideration (i.e. smart operation).

This presentation will detail a paper-based FEW case study using experimental data and community data to assess water reuse implementation and impacts on the person and community from a health and resources prospective. This evaluation is funded by National Science Foundation under the title of Coupling infrastructure improvements to food-energy-water system dynamics in small cold region communities: MicroFEWs.