Alaska Private Well Water Quality 2026

Alaska’s PFAS Crisis in Private Wells

Alaska’s PFAS contamination problem is concentrated but severe. Decades of AFFF (aqueous film-forming foam) use at military installations and state-managed airports have left behind PFAS plumes that have migrated directly into private drinking water wells across several communities. The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is actively managing contamination response at sites in Fairbanks, Gustavus, Dillingham, King Salmon, Moose Creek, North Pole, and Yakutat — but the communities affected extend well beyond what the state can fully monitor.

The most thoroughly documented case is Moose Creek, a residential community immediately north of Eielson Air Force Base, located approximately 26 miles southeast of Fairbanks. When the Air Force tested private drinking water wells in 2015, it found PFOA and PFOS above the then-applicable EPA health advisory (70 ppt) in 150 of 152 wells — a contamination rate of 99%. Levels ranged from 0.01 ppb to 2.24 ppb, with groundwater on-base reaching as high as 2,000 ppt. Under today’s far stricter federal limit of 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS (set in 2024), the contamination picture would be even more severe. The Air Force has since provided alternative water to the community, installed granular activated carbon (GAC) filtration systems at affected homes, and is now in the process of connecting Moose Creek to North Pole’s municipal water supply via a $30 million piped system funded by the Pentagon.

The scale of contamination at Moose Creek was not an isolated incident. CDC/ATSDR conducted a PFAS exposure assessment for the community and confirmed that elevated blood levels of PFHxS and PFOS in residents were linked to past drinking water contamination — with participants found to have significantly elevated PFAS levels compared to US national averages. The community had been consuming PFAS-contaminated well water for years — likely since at least the 1980s when AFFF use at Eielson began — before testing confirmed the problem in 2015.

Fairbanks itself has two separate PFAS contamination sources: the Regional Fire Training Center (City of Fairbanks), where testing in 2016 found PFOA and PFOS above the EPA health advisory in nearby homes’ drinking water wells, and Fairbanks International Airport, where PFAS were found in groundwater wells and surface water in 2017, including in private drinking water wells with combined PFOA and PFOS above the health advisory. The airport is connecting affected residences to the municipal water system.

Further afield, the Navy has identified PFAS contamination at the Naval Arctic Research Laboratory (NARL) in Utqiagvik (Barrow). PFOA was detected above the EPA health advisory in 4 of 5 lake samples from Lake Imikpuk, which had been historically used for drinking water by local Iñupiat whaling crews. The lake has been closed to that use. Meanwhile, the Isatkoak Lagoon — which supplies treated drinking water to the community — has also tested positive for PFAS contamination from an unrelated source.

Arsenic, Bacteria and Other Contaminants

Beyond PFAS, Alaska well owners face a range of naturally occurring and human-caused contaminants. Arsenic is naturally present in many Alaskan groundwater sources. The EPA MCL for arsenic is 10 ppb — it is colourless and tasteless, detectable only by laboratory testing. Long-term exposure is linked to increased cancer risk, cardiovascular disease, and skin damage. The University of Alaska Cooperative Extension Service recommends all private well owners in Alaska test for arsenic as a baseline.

Bacteria contamination is a persistent risk in Alaska’s private wells, particularly given the state’s unique infrastructure challenges. Many rural wells are shallow — some under 30 feet — making them vulnerable to surface contamination. In communities with septic systems, DEC’s minimum separation distance requirements (18 AAC 72.100) exist to protect wells, but older or poorly maintained systems can fail to meet these standards. The DEC notes that wells contaminated with coliform bacteria should not be used for drinking until disinfected and retested.

Nitrate contamination, while less widespread in Alaska than in agricultural states, is a risk near septic systems, animal waste sources, and fertilised land. It poses the greatest health risk to infants under six months. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and petroleum hydrocarbons are also documented at multiple contaminated sites across the state, including the former North Pole Refinery, where sulfolane contamination has already required major municipal water system expansions.

Regulatory Situation for Alaska Well Owners

The Alaska DEC Drinking Water Program does not sample, test, or regulate water quality from private wells. It states this directly on its website: testing is entirely the responsibility of the well owner. In fact, only two local governments in Alaska have established standards specifically for private wells — the Municipality of Anchorage and the City of North Pole. Everywhere else in the state, private well owners operate with no mandatory oversight and no required testing.

Alaska has no state-specific PFAS Maximum Contaminant Levels for private wells. The federal EPA MCLs of 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS (established April 2024) apply to public water systems, not private wells. Public water systems are required to complete initial PFAS monitoring by 2027. For private well owners, there is no equivalent requirement — testing is voluntary, and treatment is self-funded.

The DEC does maintain a certified laboratory list and publishes its WELTS (Well Log Tracking System) database through the Department of Natural Resources, which can be useful for understanding your well’s construction and local groundwater conditions. Where contamination has been confirmed near military or airport sites, the responsible parties (Air Force, Navy, state DOT) have been required to provide alternative water and conduct remediation — but this only covers confirmed, documented sites. Thousands of private wells across the state exist well outside any monitored zone.

For municipal water quality context in Alaska’s cities, see our Alaska state water quality page and our Anchorage water quality page. Check our live boil water notice tracker for any active advisories across the state.

Known High-Risk Areas in Alaska

If you live near any of the following locations, well water testing is urgent — not precautionary.

How to Test Your Alaska Well Water — and What to Do Next

Given Alaska’s contamination profile — military PFAS plumes, naturally occurring arsenic, and the practical challenges of maintaining shallow wells in remote conditions — every private well owner in the state should test their water. PFAS is colourless, odourless, and tasteless. There is no way to detect contamination without laboratory testing, and by the time a contamination event is publicly identified, affected households may have been drinking contaminated water for years, as Moose Creek demonstrated.

Contact the Alaska DEC Drinking Water Program at 907-269-7500 or visit dec.alaska.gov/eh/dw for a list of certified laboratories. Before testing, check the DEC’s PFAS contaminated sites database (dec.alaska.gov/spar/csp/pfas) and the DNR’s WELTS database to understand what’s been recorded near your property. If you are near any of the high-risk areas listed above, treat PFAS testing as urgent.

For filter options, our well water filter guide covers reverse osmosis systems for PFAS and arsenic, UV disinfection for bacteria, and whole-house well systems for comprehensive treatment. You can also browse our full water filter solutions page or check your ZIP code for local water quality context.

For other well water risks by state, see our pages on Michigan wells and Ohio wells. Return to the private well water directory to find your state.