AWU reports multiple emergency water and sewer repairs; warns of possible supplemental appropriation

Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility (AWU) General Manager David Persinger told the Infrastructure committee the utility responded to several high‑profile emergency water and sewer failures over the summer and that some repairs will require future capital work and possible supplemental appropriations.

Why it matters: multiple aging pipes and earthquake‑related damage have produced risks to redundancy and fire flow; staff said they have temporary mitigations in place but expect to program permanent repairs into the capital improvement plan (CIP), and they cautioned the assembly that supplemental funding requests may follow.

Persinger opened with the utility’s mission: "Our mission is to protect the health and welfare of the public and environment by providing responsible water and wastewater services," and summarized five emergency projects the utility addressed this season. He described a catastrophic failure of a 42‑inch reinforced concrete transmission main near North Pine Street, which he said likely resulted from long‑term corrosion initiated where a fence post or similar object had damaged the pipe’s outer coating decades earlier. Persinger said specialized repairs are required and a contractor with experience on these pipes is being mobilized to complete the work before the end of the year because of fire‑flow concerns.

Persinger detailed a second event: a 21‑inch trunk sewer near Anchorage International Airport that developed reverse grade and severe flotation issues. He said the utility used bypass pumping to prevent an overflow during a period that coincided with a presidential visit and airport security activity, installed a temporary manhole and replaced several pipe sections, and has programmed a permanent repair as a future capital project. "We're estimating somewhere around $250k on this one for the temporary repair," Persinger said; he added the permanent repair cost will depend on the extent of damage and could be considerably higher after full condition assessment.

Other items Persinger described included a leak in a downtown alley behind Glacier Brewhouse (preliminary estimate about $150k for exploratory and temporary repairs), a seep at an Eagle River pipeline that feeds the correctional facility (stabilization and permanent repairs planned next summer), and a June break on a 12‑inch line on Huffman Road that required storm‑drain and pipe work and will be considered for 2026 construction.

Persinger told members AWU tracks breaks and that after the 2018 earthquake the system saw a spike in failures; he said the utility’s break rate has normalized but is edging upward. He said AWU maintains a CCTV collection system crew, uses supervisory control and data acquisition instrumentation at more than 200 remote facilities and is completing water and wastewater master planning that will drive future CIP prioritization.

Budget implications and next steps: Persinger said emergency work is drawing from an annual emergency project fund in the CIP and that some work will be booked as operating costs (isolated repairs). He warned the committee that AWU may request a supplemental appropriation for capital and/or operating funds later in the year if emergency spending grows. The committee asked for follow‑up briefings on prioritization methodology, financing options and condition‑assessment data to explain how AWU sequences projects into the CIP.

Additional agency updates: Persinger reported AWU bond ratings were reaffirmed by Fitch at AA with a stable outlook, that AWU submitted permit materials related to the wastewater treatment facility to EPA Region 10 and has continued tribal engagement, and that AWU has issued RFPs as part of a site, air‑quality and financial viability review for a potential waste‑to‑energy project (the current RFPs are for feasibility components rather than construction). Persinger also noted the stormwater utility account exists but has no operating body in place yet.