Talkeetna Sewer & Water Advisory Board (TSWAB)
About
The advisory board consists of five qualified voting members, two of whom may reside in the Talkeetna Community Council Area, and three of whom must reside in or own real property in, or own or operate a business in the sewer and water service area and/or have an active sewer and water account. The board communicates between the community and the Mat-Su Borough.
Meetings occur monthly on the first Wednesday of the month. For information on meeting location and time, visit https://matsugov.us/publicmeetings.
Board Members
Chair: Drew Haag
Jane Steere
Jim Kellard
Ryan Sheldon
General Info
The Talkeetna Sewer and Water systems are setup as a Service Area within Mat-Su Borough Operations. There is a 3% sales tax but no mill rate. Sales tax revenues can only be spent within Service Area 36.
The sewer and water systems are operated by Mat-Su Borough system operators Amanda Fleming and Mike Drover.
Customers can pay online, setup autopay, see their past statements and transaction history at https://matsugov.us/pay/tsw.
Permits
The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC) oversees the permitting and compliance of the systems.
The Talkeetna Water System public water system number is AK2225032. System details including the current monitoring summary, sample results, and site details can be found at https://dec.alaska.gov/dww/. Copies of the annual Consumer Confidence Report can be found at https://matsugov.us/tsw.
The Talkeetna Lagoon permit number is AKG573033. System details including discharge authorization, discharge monitoring reports, noncompliance reports, and inspections can be found at https://dec.alaska.gov/Applications/Water/EDMS/nsite/map/results.
Operator compliance can be found at https://dec.alaska.gov/water/operator-certification/.
System Information
The Talkeetna Sewer & Water systems were built in the late 1980s after significant flooding of the Talkeetna and Susitna Rivers damaged personal wells and septic systems in Talkeetna proper. The systems include water treatment, water distribution, wastewater collection, and wastewater treatment.
Water is supplied by two groundwater wells that exceed the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for arsenic and manganese identified by the EPA. Water is first stored in a hydropneumatic tank, used to pressurize the distribution system, before being treated via oxidation and filtration to reduce arsenic and manganese to below the MCL. Water is then disinfected with chlorine prior to distribution to customers. The well house has a primary pump for average usage and a secondary pump for abnormal usage. The water distribution system is approximately 26,000 linear feet of ductile iron piping. Piping depths vary but are typically 10 feet deep with shallower sections covered with foam board insulation or upgraded to arctic pipe.
The wastewater gravity collection system is approximately 23,000 linear feet of ductile iron piping. Three lift stations are utilized to transport sewage to the wastewater lagoons and treatment facility. Treatment processes include anaerobic digestion, waste stabilization, disinfection, aeration, and de-chlorination to remove solids and pathogens prior to discharge into the Talkeetna River Slough. Wastewater treatment is only performed during the months of April through October. From November through March, winter conditions prevent treatment so wastewater is stored until treatment can resume.
Water Conservation
Monitoring water consumption is critical to ensuring water is used efficiently. Long term water waste can be very costly to both the customer and the utility. To view individual water trends and receive leak notifications, customers can set up an account at www.eyeonwater.com.
Grease Traps
Installing a grease trap is strongly recommended for all commercial businesses connected to the sewer system. Grease can easily clog sewer mainlines and negatively impact the biological treatment processes within the wastewater lagoons.