Infrastructure Projects

City South Dock Renovations and New Berthing Dolphins Project Description:  This project addresses the urgent needs at the City South Dock and includes design, engineering, environmental review, and construction.  Specifically, this project will: 1. Renovate the City South Dock by replacing the used vehicle tires currently being used as fenders with modern, energy-absorbing fenders replacing and upgrading the broken, missing, and substandard bull rails, ladders, and cleats adding three, 80-ton bollards for large vessel mooring installing fire extinguishers and life rings The City South Dock has an inadequate tire fender system, inadequate cleats, broken or missing bull rails, and damaged or missing ladders. Users report that the wave climate in the harbor is routinely very bad, and mooring lines regularly snap while at berth. The timber bull rails are severely deteriorated or missing altogether. The current fenders are used truck tires scavenged from the city dump that have been chained to the outside of the dock. All access ladders are

Saint Paul Wastewater Lift Stations Project Project Description:  This project will develop sustainable sanitation facilities in cooperation with the State of Alaska Village Safe Water Program. The project includes: Design and construction for the complete replacements of the Sandy Lane and Ellerman Heights existing lift stations (also known as pump houses) Bypass during construction to maintain uninterrupted wastewater service Decommissioning of existing lift stations once new facilities are operational Project Overview The Sandy Lane and Ellerman Heights lift stations are essential components of the community’s wastewater collection system. These facilities transfer wastewater from lower elevations to higher transmission areas where gravity flow can be achieved. The existing two lift stations have exceeded the end of their useful lives, and continued maintenance are costly and risk continued persistent issues. By replacing these two with modern lift stations, the efficiency, maintenance, and operations would be significantly improved, relieving capital expenses, and mitigating environmental impacts. Benefits for customers and the community Replacing the

Drinking Water Resilience Improvements Project This project aims to improve the City of Saint Paul’s drinking water system by planning, designing, buying, and installing new equipment, as well as building key parts of the system. These improvements will make the water system stronger, better able to handle natural disasters, and quicker to recover if something goes wrong. The main goals are to replace old, broken-down structures, upgrade outdated systems, and add emergency backup power to keep the water facilities running during power outages. These improvements will help the City meet its goals of keeping the water supply safe and reliable, even during emergencies or severe weather. Key Issues Being Addressed: The most important parts of the water system that need attention are the water control panel, seven well facilities, the water treatment plant, and the valve house. The City’s current control system was installed in 1994 and many of its parts have failed. As a result, operators now have to

Small Boat Harbor Utilities Expansion Project Summary: This project is one of the Phase 1 improvements identified in the 2021 Saint Paul Island Harbor Improvements and Expansion Feasibility Study. The Saint Paul Island Small Boat Harbor is suitable for vessels generally less than 35 feet in length. Moorage includes 15 each 35’ slips, with 1000’ side tie. This Project will provide water, sewer, and electric utility upgrades to serve the small boat harbor and adjacent commercial area. The project will help support development of the small boat harbor and adjacent commercial properties by extending utility mains closer to properties in the project area. Details: This project includes the extension and upgrade of (1) water, (2) sewer, and (3) electric utility infrastructure to support commercial activity within Saint Paul’s small boat harbor area. Specifically: 1. Water service to the small boat harbor area would be improved by extending an existing deadend 10-inch diameter high-density polyethylene (HDPE) water main installed to serve

Bulk Fuel Facility/Dispensing Tankage Upgrade Project The City of Saint Paul owns and operates a Bulk Fuel Storage Facility and Dispensing Station which was constructed in 1988. The facility stores gasoline, ultralow Sulphur diesel fuel, #2 heating fuel, and marine diesel. The total tank capacity is 2.5 million gallons. The city sells both gasoline and diesel fuel at the City South Dock and delivers heating fuel via tanker truck to homes and businesses on Saint Paul Island year-round. The need for the Bulk Fuel Facility/Dispensing Tankage Upgrade project was first identified by the city public works staff and approved in the city’s 2017-2022 Capital Improvement Plan. The existing bulk fuel facility and dispensing tankage operations and equipment do not meet the current recommended standards with explosions proof transfer pumps, hard piped transfer piping, overfill protection at tanks interconnected to pumps, or double wall UL listed tanks. Many of the existing system components are 20 to 30+ years old, still serviceable

Planning and Predevelopment of a Community Farm on Saint Paul Island The Project is the planning and predevelopment of a Community Farm which includes two greenhouses (one hot, one cool), a composting facility, a chicken house, facilities for retail sales of staple and perishable foods, and space for workshops and community gatherings. The location identified for the project is in the North Lukanin Hills Subdivision, Lot 2 Block 3. This 1-acre lot owned by the City of Saint Paul is adjacent to the Bulk Fuel Farm, Fire Station, Power Plant, and Public Works Machine Shop. The specific activities to be completed with awarded grant funds include the following: Business and feasibility planning, market research, community engagement, infrastructure planning, and conceptual design of retail space The goal of the project is the establishment of a sustainable community food hub that improves access to and availability of staple and perishable foods and improves food supply chain resilience for the community of Saint

Airport Distribution Feeder Replacement Project The 2.6-mile Airport Feeder provides prime power to the Saint Paul Airport, as well as the City’s drinking water source and treatment plant, USCG Loran Station, and National Weather Service station. The Airport Feeder was constructed in 1988 using direct bury, non-jacketed concentric neutral cable. The concentric neutral is in direct contact with soil, is failing due to corrosion, and is in critical need of replacement. The Saint Paul airport is the only commercially available means of travel on or off the island. The airport is unmanned, and equipped with sensitive instrument flight approach equipment critical for safe landings. Reliable power is essential to support the airport instrument landing system and airport runway lighting. Airport operations would be adversely affected: nighttime medivacs would be unavailable due to the lack of runway lighting and instrument landing support system. Failure of this critical feeder poses an imminent hazard to the community of Saint Paul. This project will

Water Service Line Material Inventory The City of Saint Paul is performing a water service line material inventory for all buildings served by the water utility. The United States Environmental Project Agency’s (USEPA) Safe Drinking Water Act requires that public water systems – like the Saint Paul Island water utility – perform these surveys to identify if and where lead service lines exist in water systems. The City has contracted Kuna Engineering to perform the survey. Project Milestones October 9, 2024 Procurement of Equipment and Supplies October 24, 2024 Contract with Kuna Engineering to complete project November 12, 2024 Kick-off meeting with Kuna Engineering Jan. 5-12, 2025 Kuna Engineering onsite to complete inventory with City Water/Wastewater Operator January 31, 2025 Inventory data submitted to State February 28, 2025 Project close out Stay Informed For updates and involvement opportunities on this project and others, please check the project updates and announcements page. Project Updates Water Service Line Material Inventory Rescheduled for

The Project will develop a new solid waste disposal facility on the 25-acre Aalax subdivision site in preparation for the closure of the existing Ataqan landfill in the spring of 2028. This project includes development of new landfill cells, fencing, signage, equipment building, access road and purchase of equipment for solid waste management including new burn boxes, heavy equipment, and drop boxes. Benefits to the Community ~ This project is essential to meet the basic health and sanitation needs of the community of Saint Paul Island. Saint Paul Island is an important fishing port in the Bering Sea and therefore a proper landfill is critical for the needs of the Bering Sea Commercial fisheries. In addition, with its sensitive environmental and abundant marine wildlife it is critical that the community and fishing industry have a landfill that will protect the important surrounding ecosystem. The goal is to move the solid waste management facility from the south end of the runway