United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Water
(4101)
EPA 816-F-01-002
February 2001
&EPA Fact Sheet
1999 Drinking Water Infrastructure
Needs Survey: American Indian
and Alaska Native Village Water
Systems
Printed on recycled paper
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FACT SHEET
1999 Drinking Water Infrastructure
Needs Survey: American Indian and
Alaska Native Village Water Systems
In 1999, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted the second Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey. As part of
this survey, the 20-year capital investment needs for American Indian and Alaska Native Village water systems were documented. The
survey reports infrastructure needs that are required to protect public health, such as projects to ensure compliance with the Safe Drinking
Water Act (SDWA). As directed by the SOW A, EPA uses the results of the survey as a tool for allocating Drinking Water State Revolving
Fund (DWSRF) Tribes.
How Was the Survey Conducted?
The approach for the survey was developed by EPA in consultation with a workgroup consisting of American Indian, Alaska Native
Village, and Indian Health Service representatives. All of the 19 American Indian systems serving more than 3,300 people completed a
mailed questionnaire. EPA offered technical assistance to help these systems identify eligible needs and prepare supporting documentation.
As small systems often lack the specialized staff and planning documents needed to complete the questionnaire, EPA conducted site visits
to a random sample of 78 American Indian water systems serving fewer than 3,300 people.
hi Alaska, the availability of key personnel and data resources (such as aerial photographs) allowed for a census of the 174 systems that
serve predominantly Alaska Native Villages. The survey included 2 medium-sized systems and 172 small systems. Infrastructure projects
for these systems were documented by EPA in consultation with district engineers, Village Safe Water, and Alaska Native Village repre-
sentatives.
What Is the Total American Indian and Alaska Native Village System Need?
The survey estimates that American Indian and Alaska Native Village water systems need to invest $2.2 billion in capital improvements for
the 20-year period from January 1999 through December 2018. Of this total, $2.0 billion is needed now to ensure the provision of safe
drinking water.
What Is the American Indian Need?
The total 20-year need for American Indian systems is $1.2 billion
of which $1.0 billion is needed now to protect public health.
Transmission and distribution proj ects account for 65 percent of
the total need, a finding that reflects the long lengths of main often
needed to transport water from a source to a treatment facility and
from the facility to remotely located users. Treatment is the second
largest category of need at $ 179 million. Approximately 93 percent
of American Indian systems rely on ground water, and therefore
the treatment needs of these systems are typical of groundwater
systems—with disinfection (chlorination) being the most common
form of treatment. The remaining categories of need, in descending
order, include storage, source, and a miscellaneous category of
needs called "other."
What Is the Total Alaska Native Village Need?
Total 20-Year American Indian Water System
Need by Category
(in January 1999 dollars)
Transmission and
Distribution
$743.4 million
Storage
$137.4 million
Treatment
$179.3 million
The total 20-year need for Alaska Native Village systems is $ 1.1
billion. Of this total, $1.0 billion is needed now. Transmission and distribution comprise the largest category of need at $485 million.
Although Alaska Native Village systems usually need only a modest amount of pipe to connect each home, arctic conditions require the
use of insulated above-ground mains and continuously circulating heated water which greatly increase costs. Storage represents the second
largest category of need at $310 million and treatment is the third-largest at $229 million. The large need for water treatment and storage is
due in part to the seasonal availability of water which requires many systems to treat and store an entire year's worth of water within an 8
to 12 week period during the summer. Due to these unique requirements Alaska Native Village facilities often have capacities that far
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Total 20-Year Alaska Native Village Water
System Need by Category
(in January 1999 dollars)
Transmission and
Distribution
$485.0 million
Treatment
$228.7 million
Source
$43.1 million
Other
$0.8 million
exceed what would normally be expected for these small commu-
nities. Costs are also elevated due to the high cost of transporting
equipment and construction materials to remote sites. Source water
and "other" infrastructure projects account for the remaining needs.
What Is the per Household Need?
The public health significance of the total American Indian and
Alaska Native Village water systems' need is underscored by
considering the per-household costs which average $6,500 per
household for American Indians and $51,000 per household for
Alaska Natives.
For American Indian systems, widely dispersed homes, the remote
location of communities, and the limited availability of water
resources are among the logistical challenges that account for these
high per household needs. Alaska Native Village systems face
higher costs due to their remote locations and the unique design
and construction standards that are required to withstand perma-
frost conditions.
Average 20-Year Per-Household Need
(in January 1999 dollars)
What is the Regulatory Need?
Although all of the infrastructure projects in the survey
promote the public health objectives of the SDWA,
approximately $165 million of the total need is directly
attributable to specific SDWAregulations—with $57
million and $108 million for American Indian and
Alaska Native Village systems, respectively. Almost all
of these needs involve the upgrade, replacement, or
installation of treatmenttechnologies for compliance
with the Surface Water Treatment Rule.
How Credible are the Findings?
The methods developed for the survey produce a highly
precise and credible estimate of need. Each need
included in the survey was accompanied by documenta-
tion describing the project and why it is needed. Stringent
documentation criteria ensured fairness and uniformity in
assessing each sy stem's needs.
Because all of the Alaska Native Village and medium-
sized American Indian Water systems were included in
the survey, the needs of these systems were calculated
with certainty. The estimates of need for small American
Indian systems have a national precision level of 95 percent ±10 percent (meaning that there is 95 percent likelihood that the actual need is
within 10 percent of the estimated need).
How Does the Need Compare to the First Survey?
The total need for American Indian and Alaska Native Village systems increased by $534 million and $216 million, respectively, com-
pared to the 1995 findings. This increase resulted from refining the methods used to estimate the needs. For the American Indian systems,
the sample size was increased to provide a more precise estimate of national need. Similarly, the use of a census for Alaska Native Village
systems increased the precision of the need estimate compared to the statistical sampling and extrapolation methods used in the first survey.
Where Can I Obtain More Information?
Large
Systems
Medium
Systems
Small
Systems
American
Indian
Systems
Alaska Native
Village
Systems
Information on the Second Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey Report to Congress is available from the Safe Drinking Water
Hotline at 1 -800-426-4791. EPA will post the electronic files on the Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water home page at
www.epa.gov/safewater. Reprints of the report are available for sale to the public through the Educational Resource Information center at
1-800-276-0462, or through the National Technical Information Service at 1-800-553-NTIS or (703) 487-4650.
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