Ketchikan secures $6 million for wastewater treatment upgrades

The City of Ketchikan, Alaska, has secured $6 million in federal funding to support upgrades to its Charcoal Point wastewater treatment facility as it works to meet new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency discharge standards.

The funding, approved by U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski as part of congressional spending for Alaska communities, will help the city comply with updated permit requirements that took effect in November. The revised standards include lower allowable levels of fecal coliform and tighter restrictions on discharges to the Tongass Narrows.

Seth Brakke, Ketchikan’s public works director, said the funding will ease pressure on the city as it works under a five-year compliance timeline.

The $6 million will cover design work and testing already completed, additional engineering to finalize disinfection upgrades, and capital improvements needed to sustain compliance. The city has also applied for a $1 million loan through the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation that Brakke said will be fully forgiven. Without the federal funding, the city would have needed to pursue additional loans, which would have been repaid through customer rates.

Earlier this month, the Ketchikan City Council approved an 8% increase in water and sewer rates, effective Feb. 1, to support capital improvements, wages and maintenance. The increase is expected to generate approximately $610,340 in additional annual revenue.

City officials say the federal investment will help ensure the Charcoal Point facility remains in compliance while limiting the financial impact on ratepayers.