Water Quality: Fairbanks, AK
20 water systems • 160,103 people served
Multiple Health ViolationsWater Quality Summary
Fairbanks is served by 20 public water systems with a combined service population of 160,103 people, and has 347 EPA Safe Drinking Water Act violations on record. Critically, 48 of those are health-based violations, meaning one or more contaminants were detected above EPA-established safe levels — a serious public health concern. Fairbanks's violation count is 26% below the national average for Alaska. Contaminants associated with violations include Chlorine Dioxide, Disinfection Byproducts, Stage 2 DBP, TTHM, Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5).
Contaminants Found
Can cause anemia in infants and young children; may cause nervous system effects at high levels.
Common source: Water treatment disinfectant used to control taste, odor, and microorganisms
EPA limit: 0.8 mg/L
Broad category of chemicals formed during disinfection, associated with increased cancer risk and adverse reproductive effects.
Common source: Reaction of disinfectants (chlorine, ozone, chloramines) with organic matter
Trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids that increase cancer risk and may cause adverse reproductive outcomes.
Common source: Chlorine disinfection reacting with natural organic matter in source water
EPA limit: TTHM: 0.080 mg/L; HAA5: 0.060 mg/L
Total trihalomethanes are linked to increased risk of bladder cancer and adverse reproductive outcomes.
Common source: Reaction of chlorine disinfectants with naturally occurring organic matter in water
EPA limit: 0.080 mg/L (80 ppb)
Haloacetic acids are associated with increased cancer risk and potential reproductive and developmental effects.
Common source: Reaction of chlorine disinfectants with organic matter in treated water
EPA limit: 0.060 mg/L (60 ppb)
Water Systems Serving Fairbanks
| System Name | PWSID | Source | Population | Violations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GOLDEN HEART UTILITIES | AK2310730 | Groundwater | 78,324 | 1 |
| COLLEGE UTILITIES CORPORATION | AK2310900 | Groundwater | 27,000 | 3 |
| DOYON UTILITIES JBER - RICHARDSON | AK2212039 | Surface Water | 20,284 | 11 |
| FT WAINWRIGHT - MAIN POST | AK2310918 | Groundwater | 20,076 | 3 |
| UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA - FAIRBANKS | AK2310683 | Groundwater | 6,200 | 27 |
| H2O 2U, DBA THE FILL | AK2314653 | Groundwater | 2,400 | 6 |
| VALLEY WATER COMPANY | AK2310926 | Groundwater | 1,575 | 49 |
| FT. GREELY - MAIN POST | AK2370780 | Groundwater | 1,257 | 1 |
| PIONEER WELLS AT FOX | AK2312156 | Groundwater | 880 | 7 |
| PIONEER WELLS | AK2310714 | Groundwater | 600 | 5 |
| DOT & PF FOX WATERING POINT | AK2310277 | Groundwater | 350 | 2 |
| FAIRBANKS WATER COMPANY LLC | AK2315586 | Groundwater | 325 | 4 |
| TWIN SPRINGS WATER | AK2312813 | Groundwater | 310 | 1 |
| WILDWOOD HOMES LLC | AK2310853 | Groundwater | 114 | 33 |
| RAINBOW VALLEY MHP | AK2310879 | Groundwater | 105 | 108 |
| BEAVER LK. RESORT 2545/2555 MISSION | AK2312504 | Groundwater | 102 | 5 |
| VILLAGE MOBILE HOME PARK | AK2310803 | Groundwater | 65 | 27 |
| PTARMIGAN HEIGHTS UTILITIES | AK2310934 | Groundwater | 53 | 7 |
| BEAVER LK RESORT / 2521 OUTSIDE BLVD. | AK2312457 | Groundwater | 52 | 4 |
| BIRCHVIEW RENTAL PROPERTIES, LLC | AK2310837 | Groundwater | 31 | 43 |
Concerned About Your Water?
A home water filter can remove common contaminants. NSF-certified filters are tested against EPA standards.
Consider a reverse osmosis system for comprehensive filtration or a carbon filter for basic improvement.
Other Cities in Alaska
Data Sources
Drinking water violation data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). Data includes all recorded violations for active community water systems.