ANCHORAGE — A tiny village in Alaska’s interior is getting $450,000 in federal funding for repairs to a fire-damaged building housing the water treatment system.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development says the “imminent threat” grant has been awarded to village Alatna.
HUD officials say the estimated $1.3 million cost of repairing the water treatment plant, clinic and other parts of the facility will be funded by the grant and $850,000 from the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.
After the April 2015 fire, residents were forced to cross the frozen Koyukuk River to haul water from another village before a temporary water-filtration system was installed.
Gov. Bill Walker declared a state disaster in the community soon after the fire.
Alatna is a community of 35 about 190 miles northwest of Fairbanks.
