Trapper Creek’s water point has provided about 170,000 gallons of water since its opening in April 2021.
Getting water to a rural area is not fast or easy. The Trapper Creek Community Services Association began the process in October 2015. For many years, community members would fill up at the spigot at the Community Center. But it was never meant for drinking.
The TCCSA worked with the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), Division of Water, and the Village Safe Water Program (VSW), for project oversight, monitoring, and control of granted funds. Trapper Creek qualifies for the program because the community has a population of fewer than 500 people.
The new water point opened on April 20, 2021 and cost residents just 25 cents for 250 gallons. Grant funding helped subsidize the cost of the water. Today the water is 10 cents per gallon to help account for operating costs.
TCCSA representatives indicated that at 10 cents per gallon, the operating costs so far are not completely covered. But they still have a little grant funding left to help stretch their dollars and keep the costs reasonable for the community members. The representatives say they’ll reevaluate the costs next year when they have more data.
The water point is tested monthly for 12 contaminants and results show that these are either absent or well within the acceptable limits set by the Alaska DEC for drinking water. It is the only Alaska DEC approved public water source in the upper Susitna Valley.
