After a fire destroyed Tuluksak’s source of drinking water on Jan. 16, 2021, the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation got to work. It sent a team to the community to build new water systems.
The team got a water system with basic filtration up and running by mid-February. It was intended to provide water for things like cleaning and laundry. A couple weeks after that, the workers set up a reverse osmosis system, with extra filtration, to provide cleaner water intended for drinking. But up until mid-April, most people in Tuluksak didn’t get to drink the water from this second system.
The reverse osmosis system is located in the school kitchen, but only staff are allowed in. Tuluksak Principal Douglas Bushey said that it’s a health hazard to let community members go in and out. Plus, he wanted to avoid distractions.