Welcome: Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility Water Master Plan (WMP) Online Open House – Text Only Version
Public Comment Period: October 31 – November 14, 2025
Welcome and thank you for your interest in the Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility’s (AWWU) Water Master Plan (WMP) project.
The purpose of this online open house is to provide information and seek comments on AWWU’s proposed water transmission and distribution systems as outlined in the draft WMP.
This online platform is open from October 31 – November 14, 2025.
Feedback
Your feedback is important to us! To provide feedback, you may visit the last section of this Online Open House or visit the website at awwumasterplan.com.
Navigating This Site
This is the text only version of this online meeting. If you need any additional assistance navigating this open house website, please email MPcomments@awwumasterplan.com.
Project Introduction
Your input is important as we consider the future of AWWU’s water distribution system. We hope you will take time to review the plan recommendations and share your feedback.
You may download a PDF document of the draft WMP or click to a weblink of the document below. Adobe Reader is required to view the PDF documents. You may obtain a free copy of Adobe Reader at https://get.adobe.com/reader.
AWWU’s Water System – Clearly Reliable
AWWU provides water service to approximately 55,000 customers within the Anchorage Bowl, the northern communities (Eagle River, Chugiak, Birchwood, Peters Creek, and Eklutna), and Girdwood, representing more than 220,000 residents within the Municipality of Anchorage. AWWU’s water system includes water treatment plants at Eklutna Lake and Ship Creek, 12 wells, more than 850 miles of water distribution pipes, more than 6,100 fire hydrants, and 19 reservoirs and clearwells that store more than 70 million gallons of water. That’s a lot of infrastructure!
As part of the WMP process, AWWU reviews the water distribution system and operations based on current and projected population, trends in water use, and condition of the distribution infrastructure – all for the purpose of maintaining a reliable transmission system.
About the Plan
AWWU updates the WMP periodically to identify and prioritize future improvements to its water transmission and distribution systems*. It takes a long-range view – looking at needs now, as well as 20 years from now.
The WMP’s purpose is to:
- Support efficient and effective operation of transmission and distribution systems
- Identify and prioritize anticipated capital improvements over a 20-year timeframe
- Provide cost-effective and responsive service updates based on community needs
The plan also identifies and prioritizes specific projects in the Anchorage Bowl, Girdwood, and northern communities that will help maintain the system: repair and replacement projects, capacity improvement projects, and system optimization projects.
While previous plans focused on an expanding system to support rapid population growth, today the Utility is focusing on maintaining levels of service as the system ages with slower system growth.
*The WMP encompasses only the AWU certificated area. It does not cover private wells or non-AWWU-owned distribution systems.
Existing Conditions/Future Conditions
The WMP looks at where we are today and anticipates what may be needed in the future based on projected demand and demographic changes within AWWU’s certificated operating area.
Today, AWWU’s 55,000 customers use approximately 23 million gallons (MG) per day. This is called average water demand.
Peak demand – think a hot summer day when everyone is watering lawns and washing cars – is more than twice the average demand: approximately 50 MG/day and equivalent of filling up the Bartlett High School pool eighty times!
Twenty years from now, demand may look fairly similar. Both the Alaska Department of Labor and the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation anticipate Anchorage’s population will remain relatively steady over the next 20 years.
The plan does consider other potential stresses on the system, however, including emergencies (fires or earthquakes), PFAS contamination, localized increases in demand due to development (Girdwood specifically), and the system’s overall capacity to meet demand.
The WMP assumes by 2045:
- The overall population of the Municipality will not grow, though the population patterns may vary throughout the Municipality.
- Consequently, average daily demand for water will not increase.
- Sufficient ground and surface water will be available to support demand in Anchorage and the Northern Communities, although Girdwood (which gets its water from groundwater sources only) will need improvements to water supply.
- AWWU is in a maintenance, upkeep, optimization, and development support phase rather than expansion.
Do you agree with these assumptions? Why or why not?
See chapters 3 and 5 for more information on assumptions.
See Chapter 7 for a full analysis of AWWU’s system, including capacity, fire flow, distribution, and water quality.
xample Projects: Rehabilitation and Replacement (R&R)
The old advice is really true. Regular, routine maintenance saves time and money. No one likes a huge surprise repair bill – or wants to figure out how to pay to replace a big-ticket item!
AWWU’s R&R projects are generally associated with pipes that have high break rates, water quality issues, or need asset maintenance. Regular R&R work helps minimize the need for emergency repairs, and the WMP identifies a number of near-term projects that can be completed in the next 10 years.
Example Projects: Capacity Improvements
Historically, capacity improvement projects focused on expanding the system, often to new developments within AWWU’s certificated area. As population growth and new water demand has slowed, the need for capacity improvement projects has decreased – although some areas with projected growth or other needs for capacity improvement projects have been identified, including in Girdwood.
Today, the focus for capacity improvements is on building a more resilient system with built-in redundancies that can help keep the system operating in case of a potential transmission main failure.
Primarily, capacity improvements projects meet three types of needs: (1) providing anticipated demand for water supply in already developed areas, (2) supporting infill and redevelopment, and (3) providing service for possible future development.
Example Projects: System Optimization
Minimize operating costs, maximize redundancy and resilience.
These projects were developed to decrease the amount of pumped water, provide fire flow to areas, provide operationally redundant (looped) mains, or eliminate facilities to reduce operating costs and improve water quality or network transmission capacity.
Why the WMP is Important
Reliable infrastructure is the backbone of AWWU operations.
Conditions change over time, and the Anchorage of 2045 may look different than it does today. Anchorage’s water infrastructure is aging and new water demand is slowing. AWWU needs to be well positioned to meet changed conditions responsibly and reliably. The WMP helps manage that change thoughtfully and strategically.
The WMP is a roadmap that informs AWWU’s project development and budgeting process. It helps support efficient operations and prioritizes investments across its operating area, from Eklutna to Girdwood, now and in the future.
Public Comment
We want to hear from you! The public comment period for the draft WMP is October 31 through November 14, 2025.
- What current and future service needs do you see?
- What thoughts do you have about the proposed projects and/or implementation schedule?
Submit your comments by November 14, 2025.
Comments will be incorporated into the final plan document, which will be recommended for approval by AWWU’s board at its December 3, 2025, meeting.
Contact Us & More Information
Thank you for visiting our Online Open House, which is live from October 31 to November 14, 2025. It will be archived on the project website for later reference.
While comments are welcome at any time, the public comment period on the draft WMP is from November 1 to 15, 2025.
Please submit your comments today through the following methods:
Online at awwumasterplan.com
By email at MPcomments@awwumasterplan.com.