ThreatsofClimateChangeonWaterandSanitationfromanInternationalSurveyintheArctic

Jonathan M. Bressler,MPH1,2

1 SectionofEpidemiology,DivisionofPublicHealth,AlaskaDepartmentofHealthandSocialServices,Anchorage,AK,USA2AppliedEpidemiologyFellow,CouncilofStateandTerritorialEpidemiologists,Atlanta,GA,USA

Howdoesclimatechangeaffectwaterandhealthinthearctic?

Mediatingfactors

• Populationgrowth• Higherdemandonoutdatedwater&sanitationinfrastructure.

• Meltingseaiceopenstransportationroutes• Previouslyisolatedcommunitiesmaygainaccesstoimportsandnewtechnologies.

• Investment,innovation,andcollaborationincopingwithclimatechange-relatedthreats

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/arctic_council_water_sanitation

ArcticCouncilWater/SanitationProject

• Three-partsurvey:• Accesstowaterandsanitationservices• Water- andsanitation-relateddiseasesurveillance• Effects ofclimatechangeonwaterandsanitationaccess

• Distributedtoprofessionals inhealth,waterandsanitation;governmentauthorities;andresidentsintheArcticnations.• Emaillists,directcontacts,andapreviouslypublishedarticle.1

• ResponsescollectedAprilthroughSeptember2016.

• Detailsandadditional informationsolicitedfromknownandrecommendedexpertsandWIHAHpresenters.

1HennessyTW,BresslerJM.ImprovinghealthintheArcticregionthroughsafeandaffordableaccesstohouseholdrunningwaterandsewerservices:anArcticCouncilinitiative.Int JCircumpolarHealth.2016Apr29;75:31149.

SurveyMethods

SurveyMethods

• Respondentsprovided:• Organization• Affiliation• Location

• Countriessurveyed:• Canada• Greenland• Finland• Iceland• Norway• Russia• Sweden• US(Alaska)

SurveyMethods

SurveyMethods

SurveyMethods

SurveyMethods

NumberofresponsesCanada:Nunavut Finland Greenland Iceland Norway Sweden

U.S.:Alaska

TOTALRESPONDENTS 3 1 1 1 1 2 13

Decreaseinso

urcewater

quantity?

Decreaseingroundwatersupply. 1 4Lossordecreaseoftundrapondwaterorothersurfacewater.

2 7

Changeinthecourseofariverthatreducedaccesstowater.

1 4

Otherdecreaseinquantityorvolumenotdescribedhere.

2 1 1

Nodecreaseobserved 1 1 1Donotknow 1 1 1 1 4

Decreaseinso

urcewaterquality?

Increasedsaltcontent,dissolvedsolids,orothercontaminantsingroundwater.

1 3

Floodingofcoastalareasbystorms,causingcontaminationofsurfacewaterwithseawater.

4

Increasedsaltandbromidecontentinriverintakesduetosea-levelrise.

1

Excessivealgal,bacterial,fungal,insect,orotherbiologicalgrowthinsourcewater.

3

Otherdecreaseinqualitynotdescribedhere. 1 1 2Nodecreaseobserved 1 1 1Donotknow 1 1 1 4

Climatechange-relatedthreatstowaterandsanitationaccessintheArctic,asreportedbysurveyrespondents,2016

NumberofresponsesCanada:Nunavut Finland Greenland Iceland Norway Sweden

U.S.:Alaska

TOTALRESPONDENTS 3 1 1 1 1 2 13

Damagetowateran

dsanitatio

ninfrastructure?

Damagetoinfrastructureduetohighoverlandwaterflow(runoff)afterintensestorms.

1 1 3

Damagetoinfrastructurefromriverbankerosionafterintenserainstorms.

1 1 1 3

Damagetostructurefoundedonfrozensoilduetothawingpermafrost.

3 1 4

Otherdamagetowaterinfrastructureduetoevent(s)notdescribedhere.

1 1 1

NodamageoccurredDonotknow 1 1 6

Climate-causedmaintenance?

Useofdirty,contaminated,orunsafewaterduetohighcostofrepairingorreplacingdamagedstructuresorcontaminatedwatersources.

1 1 2

Increaseincostofoperationsandmaintenance.

2 1 1 6

Otheroperationsormaintenanceissue(s)causedbyclimatechangenotdescribedhere.

1 1 3

Noclimate-relatedissues/DonotknowDonotknow 1 1 6

Climatechange-relatedthreatstowaterandsanitationaccessintheArctic,asreportedbysurveyrespondents,2016(continued)

NumberofresponsesCanada:Nunavut Finland Greenland Iceland Norway Sweden

U.S.:Alaska

TOTALRESPONDENTS 3 1 1 1 1 2 13

Watertreatm

entaffe

cted?

Riseinbromideconcentrationrequiringtreatmentofwatersource.

1

Moredifficulttoappropriatelytreatwaterafterincreaseinturbidity,pathogens,ornaturalcontaminantsinthewater.

2 4

Morefrequentorseverealgalbloomsaffectingwatertreatment.Othertreatmentissue(s)notdescribedhere. 1 1 3Treatmentnotaffected 2Donotknow 1 1 1 7

Climatechange

affected

planning?

Yes 2 1 1 2 6

No 2

Donotknow 1 1 1 5

Climatechange-relatedthreatstowaterandsanitationaccessintheArctic,asreportedbysurveyrespondents,2016(continued)

Surveyresponses:DecreasesinsourcewaterquantityCANADA- Nunavut• “Somecommunities' principalwatersourceisfedbyrecedingglaciersand/orsnowpacks.Lessmelthasbeenwitnessed inseveralcommunitiesoverthelastdecade.”

ALASKA– NorthSlopeBorough• “Decreaseingroundwateraquifersandmaintundrapondwatersource.”

ALASKA– Gakona• “Drysummersandwarmwintershavecausedalossofgroundmoistureandwaterinbogandpondareas.”

ALASKA– Kotzebue• “Thelackofsnowandrain,andtheincreasedheathavebeendiminishingourwatersupply.”

Surveyresponses:DecreasesinsourcewaterqualityCANADA– Nunavut• “Stormsurgesarecausingsaltwaterintrusionsnearriverintakes.Intakepipesneedtobemovedupstreamtoavoiddrawingbrackishwatersintothepumpingstations.”

NORWAY• “Thecolorofwaterinriverandlakeshavegraduallychangedovertime.”

ALASKA- NorthwestArcticBorough• “Streambankerosionandpermafrostthawing(i.e.sloughing)decreaseswaterqualityviaturbidity.”

Surveyresponses:DamagetoinfrastructureCANADA– Nunavut• “Leaksinreservoirsduetoberminstability(thawing).”ICELAND• “Damagetowaterinfrastructurehasoccurredcausedbyvolcaniceruptionsorearthquakes.”

FINLAND• “Damsafetyincidentsduetopowercutsduringintense storms,landcollapse,risingwaterlevel.”

ALASKA– Kotzebue• “Morefrequentandintensestormsalongwithwarmweather.”ALASKA– Shishmaref• “Thecommunityhasbeensufferingfromerosionandfloodingofthecoastlinewhichputsthefacilities(likethesewagelagoon)inavulnerableposition.”

StormerosioninKotzebue,Alaska

Surveyresponses:WatertreatmenteffectsNORWAY• “Stormwaterinfiltrationofthesewageplantreducestheeffectivenessoftreatment.”

SWEDEN• “Morefrequentfloodinginthepasttenyearsthoughithasnotyetaffectedthewaterwells.“

ALASKA– Kotzebue• “My13stagewaterfilternowclogswithdebrisin1/4ofthetime itordinarilywouldhave.”

ALASKA– NorthwestArcticBorough• “Increasedorganicloadsintosourcewater,whichwhencombinedwithchlorineasadisinfectant,causesdisinfectionby-products.Manyofourwatersystemslacksufficienttreatmenttoremovetheseby-products.”

• ALASKA– ANTHCassessment reports

Surveyresponses:Infrastructuredamage,maintenance,andtreatment(continued)

• Selawik:Unevengroundsettlingfollowingpermafrostmeltcausingdamagetopiping.

• PointHope:Increaseinamountofbiologicslimerequiringdrasticincreaseinfrequencyoffilterchanges.

Surveyresponses:PlanningofinfrastructureCANADA– Nunavut• “Reservoirsarenowbeinglinedsincerelyingsolelyonimpermeability frompermafrostisnolongeranoption.”

GREENLAND• “IncooperationwithNukissiorfiit (thenationalelectricity andwatersupplycompany)weplanalargerresearchprojectinsummer2017todevelopsolutionsforQaanaaq.”

NORWAY• “Changeindesignofsystemstodealwithstormwaterandsewagewillbetopicsinthecomingyears.”

SWEDEN– Älvsbyn• “Duetorepeatedfloodingandexpected increasingrain/snow,theriskforcontaminationofwaterisexpectedtoincrease.Themunicipalityhasinstalledchemicalandultraviolettreatmentinthewatertreatmentplantandbuiltprotectingwallstopreventcontaminationofthegroundwaterwellsfromfloodingriverwater.”

Surveyresponses:Planningofinfrastructure(cont.)ALASKA– PointLay• “Thawingpermafrosthascausedourdirectburydistribution&collectionsystemtofail.Homesarebeingputontankstocontinueserviceuntilanabovegroundsystemcanbebuilt.”

ALASKA– NorthwestArcticBorough• “FederalandStatefundingagenciesarehesitanttofundnewwaterandsanitationprojectsincommunities thatare"highlythreatened"andatriskofrelocation.”

• “Shiftofengineeringeffortstoservehomeswithdecentralizedin-homesystemsratherthanstandardcommunity/centralizedsystemssohomesandsystemsmaybeportablewithrelocation.”

• “Flexiblearcticserviceconnectiondesignsarebeingusedtominimizeservicelinedamagewhenhousesshiftduetofreeze/thawcyclesandpermafrostmelting.”

• “Atleastonewatertreatmentplantprojecthasbeencompletelystalledbecausetheprojectfundedamountwasinsufficient.Thiscommunitycontinuestositwithinadequatelytreateddrinkingwater.”

• UndertheACSustainableDevelopmentWorkingGroup,createaregularforumforArcticnationsandcommunitiestoshareinnovationsinwaterandsanitationtechnology,costmanagementmethods,andclimatechangeadaptationstrategies.

• Workshopobjectives:• Designaplanforan“asset inventory”ofat-riskwaterandsanitation infrastructure.

• Assesscommunity-basedmonitoringandresponsestrategiesinvolvinghealthandwater-relatedresources/infrastructurefailure.

• ProvideanupdateontheknowledgesharedattheWaterInnovationsforHealthyArcticHomes(WIHAH)Conference.

Recommendations&WorkshopObjectives