Assembly hears update on Chiniak school water system after waiver denials raised by residents

Residents and borough staff told the Kodiak Island Borough Assembly on Sept. 11 that the Chiniak School water system remains classified as a nonpublic system and that recent enrollment changes prompted the Kodiak Island Borough School District to deny out‑of‑area waivers to avoid exceeding the regulatory threshold for a public water system.

During citizen comment, Cheniak resident Sandy Dawes said two children from Bells Flats were denied waivers this school year because of the water-system threshold and urged the assembly and school board to hold more joint work sessions. "The children that were denied the waiver, they weren't even born when this all started, but they're being the ones that are being held responsible for it," Dawes said.

Manager Amy Williams told the assembly the system is classified as nonpublic if it regularly serves 24 people or fewer; once it regularly serves 25 or more, the system must be upgraded to a public water system and different regulatory requirements apply. Williams said for the 2025–26 school year a combination of a family enrolling three children and an incoming teacher who also brings a school-aged child pushed enrollment to the district’s internal limit of 24. "In order to not cross the threshold of the water system serving 24 and under to the point where it's serving 25 or more, the Kodiak Island Borough School District has denied waivers for students from the Bells Flats area to be transported out to the Chiniak School," Williams said.

Williams said borough staff and the advisory school board have reached out to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation and to other local operators that have public water systems to learn how those systems are handling similar thresholds. She said the borough supplied a packet that includes a history of the Chiniak system back to 2005, a 2017 reclassification to nonpublic, and a study with interim options and cost estimates for treatment approaches such as reverse osmosis and cartridge filtration.

Assembly members pressed for clarifications on testing and timing. Assembly member Jared asked how DEC would respond once the system crosses 25 people; Williams said DEC will not begin formal guidance until the regulatory threshold is crossed, which complicates advance planning. Assembly member Dave suggested budgeting next year for a class 1 operator in case Chiniak moves above 24. "I think it would be prudent for next year's budget to start looking at what that class 1 operator might cost, in case Chiniak does go over 25," he said.

Several assembly members noted practical interim measures used in other rural Alaska communities — temporary hauling of potable water, separation of potable and nonpotable supplies, or increased busing — but also emphasized those are short-term fixes. Assembly member Scott observed past problems with theft and vandalism at the site and said a permanent solution will be required if the school regularly exceeds the 24‑person threshold.

No formal action was taken during the work session. Assembly members asked staff to follow up with DEC, supply recent water‑quality and testing records in the meeting packet, and provide options and costs for compliance if the system reaches the 25‑person threshold. Residents and the advisory school board requested closer coordination between the assembly and the school district, including additional joint work sessions outside the annual budget-focused meeting.