Download Improving Health in Arctic Communities through Safe and

SDWG Project Proposal: Arctic WASH (Draft 26 August 2015)
SDWG PROJECT PROPOSAL TEMPLATE1
Project Title:
Improving Health through Safe and
Affordable Access to Household Running
Water and Sewer
Lead Country: United States
Project leader(s):
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, Tom Hennessy
U.S. Department of State, Joshua Glasser
U.S. State of Alaska, Department of
Environmental Conservation (ADEC).
 Larry Hartig, ADEC Commissioner
 Lynn Kent, ADEC Deputy
Commissioner
 Bill Griffith, ADEC Facilities
Program Manager
 Fatima Ochante, ADEC Alaska Water
and Sewer Challenge Coordinator
Total Cost of Project:
Relationship to other AC Working
Groups:
Primary cost will be a two-day circumpolar
conference in Anchorage during the
summer of 2016; sources of funding to be
determined.

Arctic Monitoring and Assessment
Programme (AMAP), focus on Human
Health. Jan Oyvind Odland, NO, Chair
Criteria for assessing SDWG project proposal submissions.
Objective of Project:
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. State Department and the
U.S. State of Alaska, Department of Environmental Conservation are proposing a project
focused on the challenge of Improving Health through Safe and Affordable Access to
Household Running Water and Sewer in Arctic and Sub-Arctic communities. The
project is to be implemented during the U.S. chairmanship. The proposed project
The content of this template has been drawn primarily from the ‘Procedures for submitting, approving
and managing project proposals in the Sustainable Development Working Group’ (Sweden 2006)
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SDWG Project Proposal: Arctic WASH (Draft 26 August 2015)
addresses four of the six SDWG’s thematic areas including Arctic Human Health, Arctic
Socio-Economic Issues, Energy and Arctic Communities, and Adaptation to Climate
Change.
The key event associated with the project is a two day circumpolar conference to be held
in Anchorage, Alaska during the fall of 2016. Additionally, prior to the conference, the
project will deliver an informational summary of the status of household running water
and sewer service and a comparison of water-associated illness rates across Arctic and
Sub-Arctic communities. The circumpolar conference will bring together researchers,
engineers, manufacturers and vendors, and health experts to discuss health benefits,
challenges and solutions associated with making running water and sewer in small Arctic
and Sub-Arctic communities safe, affordable and sustainable. A comparison of technical
approaches and the different governance and regulatory frameworks and approaches
utilized by Arctic nations will be discussed together with problems and solutions
regarding the potential impact of climate change on sanitation infrastructure in the Arctic
and Sub-Arctic.
The State of Alaska will also present information about The Alaska Water and Sewer
Challenge Project, a multi-year research and development effort started in 2012. The
project focuses on decentralized water and wastewater treatment, recycling, and water
minimization in cold climates. These approaches have a high potential for use in
individual homes and housing clusters. The goal is to significantly reduce the capital and
operating costs of in-home running water and sewer in rural Alaska homes. By the fall of
2016, three pilot systems will be available to demonstrate at the conference, where the
system developers could interact with other experts from throughout the Arctic and SubArctic region to gather input on their ideas.
The formation of work groups to continue Improving Health through Safe and Affordable
Access to Household Running Water and Sewer via ongoing meetings – during and
beyond the U.S. chairmanship – is another intended deliverable of this project.
Background:

Once an international planning group has been established, conference planning will
begin in 2015, with the goal of announcing the Arctic Council circumpolar
conference by late 2015. The two day international conference will be held in
Anchorage, Alaska during the fall of 2016. Conference proceedings will be delivered
in winter of 2016.

The U.S. State of Alaska’s Department of Environmental Conservation is working
with the entities listed below to begin the planning process for the Arctic Council
project. The Project Advisory Group will reach out to identify international partners
who can help to shape the proposed project and plan the international conference.
o U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention
o U.S. Department of State
o U.S. Arctic Research Commission
o U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
o U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development Program
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SDWG Project Proposal: Arctic WASH (Draft 26 August 2015)
o
o
o
o
U.S. Indian Health Service
Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium
University of Alaska, Institute of Circumpolar Health Studies
University of Alaska, Institute of Northern Engineering

The Project Lead (State of Alaska) will contact the following organizations as well as
other Arctic States and Permanent Participants to identify a potential role for them in
this project.
o International Union on Circumpolar Health
o Alaska Federation of Natives
o Alaska Native Health Board
o Inuit-Circumpolar Council-Alaska
o Interagency Arctic Research and Policy Committee

Cost estimate and budget: To be determined.
Rationale:
While many Arctic communities do have access to running water and sewer services,
there are still many communities, throughout the Arctic and Sub-Arctic, where gaps
remain. Households without running water and sewer service are found in villages that
do not have any type of centralized system (piped or water and wastewater covered haul
infrastructure), but also in communities where the existing water/sewer infrastructure
does not include all homes. In addition, there are many homes connected to centralized
systems that are subject to failure due to age, harsh weather conditions, climate effects
such as melting permafrost, and the high cost of operation.
The lack of sanitation infrastructure poses serious health threats. Recent health studies
conducted in the Arctic and Sub-Arctic have shown a direct correlation between clean
water in sufficient quantities and significant reductions in diseases and infections and
hospitalizations. Skin infections, respiratory tract infections and severe invasive bacterial
infections such as meningitis are more common in communities lacking water and sewer
service. Children are especially vulnerable; pneumonia hospitalization rates for rural
Alaska Native infants and children are the highest in the United States. These health
threats impose costs that impede socioeconomic development.
The capital cost of centralized sanitation systems in the Arctic and Sub-Arctic is
extremely high. Operational costs associated with centralized systems are also very
expensive and these costs are generally the responsibility of communities. Rural
households typically spend a much higher percentage of their income on water and sewer
user fees than urban households. Due to remoteness, harsh weather conditions, and the
high cost of fuel, many rural Arctic and Sub-Arctic communities are hard pressed to keep
their systems running.
Because of the relatively high costs and technical challenges associated with centralized
water and sewer systems, many homes and communities throughout the Arctic and SubArctic will never receive sanitation infrastructure improvements unless decentralized
technologies are implemented. Likewise, the potential effects of climate change may
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result in problems with, or complete failure of, existing centralized systems heightening
the need for less expensive technologies.
Given these factors, a multi-year effort has begun in Alaska, involving U.S. federal
government agencies and the State of Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation
(DEC) to research and develop decentralized sanitation technologies that are less
expensive both to construct and operate in Arctic and Sub-Arctic climates. In summer
2014, six multi-disciplinary, international teams received funding to develop written
proposals for addressing specific goals associated with decentralized water and sewer
service in remote Arctic and Sub-Arctic communities. By the summer of 2015, the state
expects to identify three proposals to develop and test prototype systems in a laboratory
setting. Prototypes will be up and running by the summer of 2016, thus allowing them to
be demonstrated at the proposed international conference. The primary goal of the Alaska
project is to reduce the health and environmental risks associated with the lack of basic
sanitation in remote Arctic and Sub-Arctic Alaskan communities.
This same challenge exists in other Arctic nations across the circumpolar north. In other
Arctic states, such as Canada, Russia, and Greenland there are an estimated 1.7 million
homes that could potentially benefit from new approaches being pursued by this project.
In Finland, there is debate about the relative costs and benefits of different levels of
treating household sewage, and many aging systems are in need of upgrades and
replacement.
Each Arctic nation and remote community contends with the challenge of providing safe,
sustainable water and sewer service to residents in a different way. Climate change could
potentially increase these challenges drastically. Public health and environmental
regulations vary considerably, and in some countries there have been allowances made in
regulations in order to make running water and sewer more feasible. Other countries have
elected to relocate homes or subsidize the operational cost of water and sewer systems.
Regardless of how these challenges have been approached, there is a need for the
international Arctic community to work together on solutions that will cost less to build
and operate, while still protecting the environment and human health.
The goal of the project hereby proposed to the SDWG is not to change the course of the
Alaska Water and Sewer Challenge project, but rather to use it as a springboard for
further domestic and international work. A circumpolar conference on Improving Health
through Safe and Affordable Access to Household Running Water and Sewer, its pre-and
post-conference reports and, resulting Work Group side meetings would promote the
exchange of ideas regarding technical, governance, and regulatory approaches and
flexibility for safe sanitation systems which still safe guard the environment and public
health.
Traditional and Local Knowledge:
How will TLK be incorporated: The core scientific activity of this project is a survey
by the Arctic Health Human Experts Group (AHHEG) of WASH infrastructure and the
diseases related to insufficient household water quality or quantity. In addition to
distributing this survey through national and subnational governmental channels, we will
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also distribute to TLK holders, via Permanent of the AHHEG. TLK holders will also be
invited to participate in the WASH expo and symposium planned for Anchorage in the
summer of 2016. The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation’s Water and
Sewer Challenge will require community involvement in designing submissions which
will ensure input from TLK holders.
How will the project benefit from TLK: TLK holders would be indispensable
respondents to such a survey, as they will frequently have a better sense of local
conditions than will health officials in state/provincial/national capitals. They will also
have a good sense of whether WASH-related diseases have been historically
constant/recurring, or reflect new conditions in Arctic communities. TLK collaborations
in each of the Alaska Water and Sewer Challenge projects is a requirement for the project
design and testing. Finally, TLK holders will have a strong perspective on whether the
technologies showcased at the expo are workable in their communities.
Activities and Outputs
 Key outputs:
o Circumpolar conference
o Conference proceedings
o White paper on the status of water/sanitation services in Arctic/subarctic and
related health conditions.
o Potential continuation of discussions via ongoing side meetings of international
work groups established at the conference
o Report to ministers in time for the 2017 ministerial
Together, these outputs will yield benefits for communities across the Arctic that lack water
and sewerage services, as well as those where such services are challenged by financial
constraints or climate change impacts. This project addresses the core focus of the SDWG,
by contributing to healthier communities that are more resilient to climate change and
financially more secure. Other SDWG members and observers can contribute to the success
of this project by ensuring robust participation in the circumpolar conference, as well as the
pre- and post-conference activities. Both in-kind contributions of expertise and financial
contributions are warmly welcomed.
Anticipated Outcomes





Improved human health conditions through increased provision of running water and
sewer at home.
Enhanced international participation for Improving Health through Safe and
Affordable Access to Household Running Water and Sewer.
Publicity about these challenges will help to inform policy makers, non-government
organizations, and the private sector, which in turn, could help in funding future
efforts.
Showcase innovations and ideas.
Discussion of the potential effects of climate change on Arctic and Sub-Arctic
sanitation infrastructure.
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SDWG Project Proposal: Arctic WASH (Draft 26 August 2015)

Exchange of ideas regarding regulatory approaches and flexibility toward small
community public health infrastructure.
Timetable and Project Completion
Task
Establish an international planning group
Conference planning begins
Special session on Arctic WASH at the International
Congress on Circumpolar Health, Oulu, Finland
Deadline
Spring 2015
Spring 2015
June 2015
Announcement of the conference
Pre-conference summary published (~90 days prior to
conference)
Circumpolar conference held in Anchorage, Alaska
Conference proceedings
Continuation of international Work Groups established
during the circumpolar conference
Report to Arctic Council ministers
Late 2015
Spring 2016
Fall 2016
Late 2016
Late 2016
Spring 2017
Communications
Health experts, engineers, researchers, manufacturers and vendors will be invited to the
conference for a discussion on challenges and solutions associated with making running
water and sewer in small Arctic and Sub-Arctic communities safe, affordable and
sustainable. A comparison of the different governance and regulatory frameworks and
approaches utilized by Arctic nations will be discussed together with problems and
solutions regarding the potential impact of climate change on sanitation infrastructure in
the Arctic and Sub-Arctic. Vendors and manufacturers will also be invited to the
conference.
The first day would start with a status report from each nation on water service and
health. The conference will also provide an opportunity for the international community
to present best practices, innovative approaches, and recent health studies associated with
water and sanitation in the Arctic and Sub-Arctic. The second day would include plenary
sessions, featured speakers and additional opportunities for participants to interact. It will
be part of our planning efforts to reach conclusions and develop recommendations based
on the information shared at this conference.
The pre-conference summary and conference proceedings will be disseminated among
Arctic and Sub-Arctic residents and the Arctic Council community in the fall of 2016 and
beyond.
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