Rethinking Water and Sanitation in Challenging Environments: Lessons Learned from Installing Portable, Adaptable, Mid-Tech Household Systems

Permanent water and sanitation infrastructure faces major technical and economic challenges in cold region communities because of the threats of freeze-thaw cycles, permafrost instability, and a changing climate. As a result, thousands of households suffer health and wellbeing consequences because they live without basic access to clean water, safely managed sanitation, and appropriate hygiene. In response, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium has spent five years developing, piloting, and deploying portable, adaptable, mid-tech household water and sanitation systems in rural Alaskan communities that lack piped infrastructure. These portable alternative sanitation systems (PASS) work with natural freeze-thaw cycles to help households manage potable water and human waste. They can be adapted to various modes of operation based on end-user preferences and environmental conditions. These systems require little training and technical expertise to operate and maintain and can be easily moved to new locations if households have to relocate. End users have demonstrated that PASS units can be successful at providing incremental improvements in water and sanitation services to households if they are appropriately designed, installed, and supported. We evaluated function, use, and adoption of PASS units over the first year after their installation. We discuss lessons learned from deploying these innovative mid-tech systems in houses, such as the need to develop basic technical installation and operation guidance and socially appropriate trainings to ensure success of the technology. These lessons can be used to support the development of new types of adaptive and resilient infrastructure with low environmental impacts for underserved communities.