Anchorage Water & Wastewater Utility, Alaska, 2026-2031 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) Alert

FirmoGraphs tracks and compares municipal capital improvement plans to help infrastructure-focused firms identify where investment is heading. In Anchorage Water & Wastewater Utility’s proposed 2026-2031 CIP, the utility details $243.3 million in planned capital spending, compared with $291.4 million in the prior 2025-2030 CIP. The number of distinct projects decreased from 121 to 105.

Numbers are rounded to millions or billions where applicable.

How did capital spending change between the last two CIPs?

Planned capital spending decreased by $48.1 million, a -16.5% shift, with the project count contracting from 121 to 105 distinct projects. Average project value moved from $2.4 million to $2.3 million, reflecting a modestly smaller typical project scope in the current plan.

Which business areas saw the largest changes in the CIP?

Anchorage Water Utility and Anchorage Wastewater Utility remain the two largest funding categories in both plans, though both declined in the current cycle — the water side by 27.0% and wastewater by 6.4%. Don Young Port of Alaska stands out as the only top-five comparable area to increase, rising 49.8% from the prior CIP, while Merrill Field Airport shows the steepest pullback at 53.4%.

What are the largest projects in the current CIP?

The five largest distinct projects by planned value in the 2026-2031 CIP span port stormwater, fleet facilities, airport rehabilitation, and drinking water pipe replacement.

• Storm Drain Enhancements Annual Program — $15.0 million (Don Young Port of Alaska) Identify, evaluate, and repair, as needed, to ensure proper function of the storm drain system on the Don Young Port of Alaska. There are 9 storm drain systems on the Port and a Storm Drain Master Plan was put into place in 2019 estimating annual enhancements and repairs to be completed over the next ten years.
• King Street Warm Vehicle Storage — $10.0 million (Anchorage Wastewater Utility) This project will purchase or construct a warm storage building for fleet vehicles and equipment to support Utility needs.
• Rehabilitate Taxiway N – Construction — $7.1 million (Merrill Field Airport) This project will include rehabilitation of the taxiway subgrade and pavement surface, upgrades to the existing taxiway edge lighting system, new pavement markings, and other related work. Taxiway N has exceeded its life expectancy, and improvements will provide safer airport operations and mitigate maintenance efforts.
• East 7th Lane Pine Water Rehabilitation — $6.5 million (Anchorage Water Utility) Replace approximately 2,500 linear feet of water pipe on East 6th and 7th Avenues between Hoyt Street and Pine Street.
• Park Down Estates Water Upgrade — $6.2 million (Anchorage Water Utility) Rehabilitate or replace water assets with a higher-than-normal failure rate in the Park Downs Estates subdivision.

How is the CIP governed and approved?

Anchorage Water & Wastewater Utility’s CIP is developed through utility planning, engineering, and asset management processes aligned with the Municipality of Anchorage’s budget framework. Proposed projects are prioritized around regulatory compliance, system reliability, lifecycle replacement, and coordination with road, airport, and port work, before proceeding through the municipal budget approval process.

What is the history of Anchorage Water & Wastewater Utility?

Anchorage Water & Wastewater Utility is the largest water and wastewater utility in the state of Alaska, serving a 125-square-mile service area that stretches from Eklutna to Girdwood. The utility’s underground network spans approximately 1,600 miles of pipeline, ranging from 4 inches to 78 inches in diameter, and its assets carry a replacement value of more than $8 billion.

Fun facts about Anchorage Water & Wastewater Utility

• AWWU maintains more than 7,600 fire hydrants and 15,582 manholes across its service area, supporting emergency response throughout Anchorage and surrounding communities.
• The utility operates two surface drinking water treatment plants — at Eklutna and Ship Creek — along with 13 active groundwater wells, providing supply redundancy for the region.
• AWWU runs three wastewater treatment facilities (Asplund, Eagle River, and Girdwood), 38 wastewater pump/lift stations, and 20 water reservoirs to manage the full water and sewer cycle.
• With close to 300 employees and an annual operations budget of approximately $50 million, AWWU is one of Alaska’s largest public utilities by both workforce and infrastructure footprint.
• The utility manages more than 17,000 pieces of rotating equipment — including pumps, motors, and mechanical systems — distributed across its treatment plants and distribution infrastructure.