Source Drinking Water Challenges Resulting from Changes To an Arctic Tundra Lake

• Main Authors: Michael Brubaker, Alicia Rolin, Jacob Bell, John Warren
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Arctic; Point Hope; Climate change; Tundra; Alaska
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.489.203; http://www.anthc.org/chs/ces/climate/upload/CCH-Bulletin-No-02-edited-07-23.pdf

This paper reports on a special concern identified in Point Hope, Alaska during a recent Climate Change Assessment: disruption of drinking water treatment caused by temperature driven increases in organic material in an Arctic tundra lake. Blooms of organic material have in the past been observed in the source water lake in Point Hope, but conditions have been extreme over the past two years. If warm temperatures continue, organic blooms will become a reoccurring problem for Point Hope and other communities that depend on tundra lakes for their drinking water supply. Analysis of source water chemistry and biology is recommended, as is an analysis of possible adaptive operational procedures or design modifications that could improve water system efficiency.