Assessing Long Term Domestic Water Needs in the Arctic

Abstract

The overall objective of this research was to understand how humans rely on freshwater at local and regional scales in selected parts of the Arctic, how these dependencies have changed in the recent past, and how they are likely to change in the future. This study is taking place on the Seward Peninsula in northwestern Alaska, where climate induced changes in the hydrologic cycle are currently being observed. This paper documents results to date on past industrial and domestic water demand on the Seward Peninsula. Preliminary results suggest that water use was high in the Nome Mining District and then decreased proportionally with the decline of placer mining operations. Water was used in placer gold mining operations on the Seward Peninsula to run hydraulic giants and sluice boxes. Because water was one of the limiting factors in mining operations, a series of ditches diverted nearly all available surface water in the Nome mining district between 1905 and 1914 for industrial use. The domestic water demand, that is, water used for drinking, cooking and cleaning, increased over the past 40 years as piped water and sewer systems were installed in many villages. Domestic demand can increase by 900% when a community installs piped water. The increase in demand corresponding to this change of delivery system can be seen in the difference between water consumption in a village with a central watering point, such as Wales, and a village such as Brevig Mission, where every house is connected to a piped water and sewer system. Historical pressures on the freshwater resource are being used to better understand the vulnerability of the resource now and in the future.