Alaska Native Villages Grant Program Fact Sheet ------- What is ANV? The Alaska Native Villages (ANV) grant program supports communities living in rural Alaska by providing access to new and improved wastewater and drinking water systems and by delivering training and technical assistance to ensure proper operation and maintenance of these systems. Since 1996, the program has addressed the challenge of delivering critical infrastructure to remote communities with significant, urgent need. The remoteness, geography, permafrost, and cost associated with these areas continues to present challenges to these communities in establishing and maintaining safe means of sewage disposal. The state of Alaska and federal governments continue to work with tribal and city governments to fulfill their responsibility to protect human health through the provision of safe water and adequate sanitation to the rural Alaskan communities. EPA Region 10 (serving Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and approximately 200 Alaskan Native Villages) manages and administers this grant. To expedite the delivery of critical infrastructure to communities with the greatest need, the ANV uses the Indian Health Service's Sanitation Deficiency System (SDS) to identify construction projects. In addition to construction funds, the ANV program provides technical and training assistance to program participants through the Rural Utility Business Advisor (RUBA) and Remote Maintenance Worker (RMW) programs. The RUBA program helps increase the managerial and financial capacity of rural water and wastewater utilities. The RMW program provides technical assistance and training directly to operators of these utilities. ANV Program has Extensive Impact Construction, operation, and maintenance of water infrastructure in Alaska is no easy feat, especially given the rural isolation of many communities. These communities often lack adequate safe drinking water sources or a means of safe sewage disposal. However, since its inception, the ANV program continues continues to make a significant difference for communities. The ANV program has improved water infrastructure services for thousands of homes. To learn more about the ANV program, click here. On the cover: "Aerial view of Ninilchik, a small Alaskan Native village, with Cook Inlet and Aleutian volcanoes in the background" (Adobe Stock Photos) FY 2023 ~ Alaska Native Villages Grant Program 1 ------- Cumulative Program Impact: FY18-23 $250,000,000 10,000 $200,000,000 $150,000,000 $100,000,000 $50,000,000 9,000 8,000 7,000 6,000 5,000 4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000 0 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Construction Funds Dispersed Homes Impacted Fiscal Year 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Construction Funds Disbursed $18,647,541 $25,469,630 $33,230,101 $39,464,320 $47,236,411 $47,728,771 Homes Benefiting 942 2,750 2,446 668 1,285 1,063 Case Study Across Alaska, many Alaska Native Villages lack running water and flushing toilets, leaving them no other option than to use "honey buckets" — five-gallon plastic buckets with a toilet seat on top and a plastic bag inside. These buckets are dumped in large containers at neighborhood collection points to be disposed of in a lagoon. In Akiachak, a village of nearly 700 people, residents have never had plumbing in their homes. Providing piped water and sewer service to an unserved community requires funding from multiple funding sources. Akiachak received funding from EPA's ANV grant program, the Indian Health Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development office, and the State of Alaska to provide running water and sewer service to homes. Unserved Alaska Native Village homes require connections to water sources and water treatment plants, as well as installation of sewer mains, sewage lift stations, sewer lagoons, and basic plumbing. Compared to the US general population, the hospitalization rate for pneumonia is 11 times higher for Alaskan Native children from villages without plumbed water (Hennessv TW et aL 2008). Having running water and sewer not only fulfills basic needs, but also provides a level of protection of public and environmental health that residents of Akiachak have never had. In Akiachak, residents can now bid farewell to their honey buckets and enjoy a healthier community. A honey bucket collection point in Akiachak. Photo Credit: Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development; Division of Community and Regional Affairs' Com m unity-Photo Library. FY 2023 ~ Alaska Native Villages Grant Program 2 ------- &EPA www.epa.gov EPA Publication 830F24005 ------- |