College Utilities Corporation

College Utilities Corporation (CUC) is deeply committed to delivering safe, reliable municipal water to our Fairbanks community. This commitment drives our focus on regulatory compliance and operational excellence in everything we do.

Our team consists of licensed operators, laboratory scientists, certified technicians, and dedicated customer service representatives who take tremendous pride in serving the Fairbanks community. Like many municipalities nationwide, Fairbanks faces complex water quality challenges.

CUC is publishing this annual water quality report early to address concerns about recently identified perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) plumes in our local groundwater. We're actively collaborating with local authorities, the Airport, and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC) to supply water to homes where PFOA and PFOS concentrations exceed EPA health advisory levels.

The EPA established lifetime health advisory levels of 70 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS to protect consumers against long-term exposure through municipal water. As a precautionary measure, we've implemented rigorous testing protocols. Our testing confirms that CUC's water remains safe for consumption, with trace PFOA and PFOS levels detected at concentrations more than 90% below the health advisory thresholds.

Working alongside community partners and ADEC, we continue to implement comprehensive monitoring to ensure water safety. Additionally, we're evaluating treatment options should PFOA and PFOS concentrations approach advisory levels. Please review our FAQ section on page 8 for more information about these compounds.

College Utilities Corporation takes pride in our high-quality water and are pleased to report that we've met or exceeded all established water quality standards. This annual report details our water source, presents our 2017 testing results, and provides essential information about water and health.

Benefits of Chlorination

Disinfection through chlorination, a chemical process that controls disease-causing microorganisms, represents the most crucial step in municipal water treatment. Before communities began routine chlorine treatment in 1908, starting with Chicago and Jersey City, thousands of Americans died annually from waterborne diseases like cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery, and hepatitis.

The combination of municipal water filtration and chlorination has virtually eliminated these diseases in America. These advancements in public health are directly linked to water treatment practices, making municipal water chlorination and filtration among the most significant public health developments in human history.

Our Water Source

We operate three wells, 70-80 feet deep, pumping approximately 3.5 million gallons daily from the vast aquifer beneath the Tanana Valley.

Water Testing and Health Considerations

To ensure tap water safety, the EPA establishes limits on certain contaminants in public water systems, while the FDA regulates bottled water similarly. All water sources, including bottled water, reasonably contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants doesn't necessarily indicate a health risk. For more information about contaminants and potential health effects, contact the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).

.. ...