Fairbanks: Where Water Freezes in the Pipes
Fairbanks, Alaska — population around 32,000, metro area roughly 100,000 — deals with water challenges that no city in the Lower 48 has to think about. Winter temperatures that regularly drop below minus 40 degrees. Permafrost that shifts under buildings and pipes. A water system that has to keep flowing when everything outside is frozen solid for months.
The Golden Heart City sits along the Chena and Tanana Rivers in interior Alaska. Municipal water comes from groundwater wells tapping alluvial aquifers beneath and near the rivers. The water is naturally soft and generally high quality — but military contamination, changing climate, and aging infrastructure are complicating the picture.
Eielson Air Force Base: PFAS in the Interior
Eielson Air Force Base sits about 26 miles southeast of Fairbanks. The base has operated since 1944 and serves as a major Pacific Air Forces installation, home to F-35 fighters and other aircraft. Like virtually every military airfield, Eielson used AFFF firefighting foam containing PFAS for decades during training and emergency response.
The Department of Defense identified Eielson as one of its priority PFAS investigation sites. DOD sampling has found:
- Elevated PFAS in groundwater beneath and surrounding the base, particularly near fire training areas and aircraft hangars
- PFOS and PFOA at levels significantly exceeding EPA health advisory limits in some monitoring wells
- Off-base migration — the contamination plume extends beyond the base boundary into areas where private wells are used for drinking water
The Air Force has provided bottled water and connected affected residents to alternative water supplies in some areas near the base. Remedial investigations are ongoing, with interim measures including groundwater treatment systems at the base.
Fairbanks’ municipal wells are far enough from Eielson that direct contamination hasn’t been detected in city water. But private well owners between the city and the base — and in communities near Eielson like Moose Creek and North Pole — are in a very different situation.
The town of North Pole, Alaska (yes, that’s a real place, about halfway between Fairbanks and Eielson) has been particularly affected. PFAS from both Eielson and a former fuel spill from a Flint Hills Resources refinery have contaminated local groundwater. The state has been working with the military and responsible parties on remediation, but progress is slow.
Permafrost Thaw: A Slow-Motion Infrastructure Crisis
Climate change is warming interior Alaska faster than almost anywhere else on Earth. Average temperatures in Fairbanks have risen several degrees over the past century, and permafrost — permanently frozen ground that underlies much of the region — is thawing.
This matters for water quality in several ways:
- Infrastructure damage — as permafrost thaws, the ground settles and shifts unevenly. Water and sewer pipes crack, break, and separate. These breaks can allow contaminated groundwater to enter the water distribution system.
- Septic system failures — many homes outside the city center use septic systems that were designed to function in permafrost conditions. As the ground thaws, soil drainage changes and treatment effectiveness decreases.
- Mobilization of contaminants — materials that were stable in frozen ground (including old fuel spills, landfill contents, and natural organic matter) become mobile as the ground thaws, potentially reaching groundwater.
- Increased organic carbon — thawing permafrost releases dissolved organic carbon into water sources, which can increase disinfection byproduct formation during water treatment.
Arctic-Specific Water Challenges
Fairbanks deals with water quality issues that are unique to extreme cold environments:
Arsenic
Interior Alaska’s geology includes volcanic deposits with naturally elevated arsenic levels. Some wells in the Fairbanks area have tested above the EPA’s MCL of 10 µg/L for arsenic. The city’s municipal wells are tested and treated, but private well owners need to be aware of this geological reality.
Winter Operations
Keeping water flowing at minus 40 requires constant attention. The city uses utilidors (insulated above-ground pipe corridors) in some areas and deeply buried, heat-traced pipes in others. When systems fail in winter, the consequences are immediate — pipes freeze, burst, and can leave neighborhoods without water for extended periods.
Spring Breakup
When the ice goes out on the Chena and Tanana Rivers each spring, flooding can overwhelm infrastructure. Spring breakup events have historically caused ice jams that flood parts of Fairbanks, potentially contaminating surface water sources and compromising water treatment operations.
Current Water Quality
The Fairbanks municipal water system (operated by Golden Heart Utilities) meets federal drinking water standards. The groundwater source is generally clean, and treatment includes disinfection and, where needed, arsenic removal.
The most significant water quality risks in the Fairbanks area are concentrated in:
- Private wells near Eielson AFB and North Pole (PFAS)
- Private wells in areas with naturally elevated arsenic
- Homes and neighborhoods with aging or permafrost-damaged distribution infrastructure
What Fairbanks Residents Can Do
If you’re on city water, review the annual Consumer Confidence Report from Golden Heart Utilities. City water is regularly tested and treated.
If you have a private well — this is where attention is critical:
- Near Eielson/North Pole: Test for PFAS. Contact the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) about military-related contamination programs and potential assistance.
- Anywhere in interior Alaska: Test for arsenic. This is a natural geological hazard that affects many wells in the region.
- All private wells: Test annually for bacteria and nitrates, especially if you’re near septic systems that may be affected by permafrost thaw.
If your water tests show elevated contaminants, a certified water treatment professional can help. Point-of-use reverse osmosis systems are effective against both PFAS and arsenic — the two biggest concerns in this region.
Sources: Department of Defense PFAS investigation reports for Eielson AFB; Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation; USGS Alaska Science Center groundwater studies; UAF Geophysical Institute permafrost monitoring data; Golden Heart Utilities water quality reports; EPA SDWIS data for Alaska water systems.