Relationships of Permafrost to Sanitation— Alter 243 



costs of facilities commonly used in continental United States 

 are so high that such facilities are not economically feasible for 

 most inhabitants of the Arctic. 



Effects of Permafrost on Environmental Health 

 Control Measures and Facilities 



Inadequate water supplies (29), unsafe disposal of human 

 excrement, accumulations of refuse, substandard housing, diffi- 

 culties in insect control, and unusual yet careless foodhandling 

 are the rule throughout the Alaskan Arctic. They serve as 

 monuments to remind us of our past unsatisfactory control of 

 environment in the permafrost regions. 



Water Supply (2, 3, 4) 



Surface waters such as shallow lakes and small streams may 

 remain completely frozen during most of the year. Much of 

 the ground water is continuously frozen. Rain water is scarce. 

 Consequently, melted ice and snow serve as the principal sources 

 of water supply in the Arctic. 



Permafrost constitutes a relatively impervious stratum which 

 prevents ready downward percolation of the meager precipita- 

 tion. Rain falls and runs rapidly into the principal drainage 

 courses. Permanently frozen soil complicates construction of 

 impounding reservoirs suitable for water storage. Stored water 

 changes the thermal regime of the soil and tends to render 

 impounding structures unstable in thawed soil. 



Accumulations of ground water above permafrost strata are 

 quickly exhausted, subject to ready contamination and may also 

 remain frozen most of the year. Wells extending through 

 permafrost will freeze unless pumping is properly regulated. 

 Under-pumping permits the well to freeze and over-pumping 

 may in some places cause freezing of the aquifer. 



Temperature exerts an appreciable effect on water treatment 

 processes. Water from the permafrost is cold. Use of chemicals, 

 filtration, and settling practices must be adjusted to make such 

 practices economical, efficient and usable in the Arctic. 



