35 



A Commiinieiit to Alaskans Rural Strategy 



Objective 5 Develop and institute a sanitation education 

 curriculum. 



Breaking the cycle of water borne disease in remote communities takes more than capital 

 projects - a health education program is needed to augment ongoing construction activities. 

 The Task Force will explore working with the Department of Education, the U.S. Public 

 Health Service, and local school districts to develop and implement a complete "health 

 education kit" including videos, posters, and text books. These materials would be made 

 available to teachers in remote locations to educate children of the importance of personal 

 hygiene, safe drinking water, proper sewage disposal, and adequate solid waste manage- 

 ment. 



It is suggested that health education become an integral part of all sanitation construction 

 projects in rural Alaska. The whys and hows of properly using new facilities as well as 

 information regarding communicable diseases (what they are, how they are spread, and 

 how to prevent contacting them); the water cycle; the iniportance of boiling non-treated 

 drinking water, and the importance of separation distances between places where water is 

 obtained and where sewage or solid waste is hauled would be among the topics explored. 



Objective 6 Iniprove roads in communities where haul sys- 

 tems are the selected alternative. 



Geographic, climatic, and economic conditions in many rural communities make piped 

 utilities impractical or infeasible. In such cases, residents frequently select water and 

 sewer haul systems as preferred project alternatives. Haul systems require roads with 

 bearing capacity adequate to handle large water and sewage transportation vehicles. 

 Unfortunately, many of the communities who desire haul systems, either do not have 

 roads or have roads which do not now have adequate bearing capacity. 



The Task Force will explore coordinating funding and resources with the U.S Public 

 Health Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Department of Transportation in 

 order to construct new gravel roads or improve the bearing capacity of existing roads in 

 communities where haul systems are the preferred alternative to piped systems. 



Objective 7 Develop utilities for joint use by villages apd schools. 



In many villages, two separate water and sewer systems are operated. One provides service 

 to the community and the other to the school. As a result there are two treatment plants, 

 two wastewater collection and disposal systems and dual plumbing, hearing and electrical 

 systems to support them. 



■Based upon the recommendations of the Interagency Task Force, the Department proposes 

 identifying those communities where dual systems exist; examining the requirements of 

 each; and determining where joint utilities are cost effective and practical. It is funher 

 recommended that a joint utilities pilot study be conducted by REAA's prior to applying 

 the "joint utilities" approach in several areas. 



22. 



