Wrangell Cooperative Association tests 10-mile pipe, plankton, shellfish

10-mile pipe is an important fixture for many in Wrangell. Located along Zimovia Highway, just before the 10-mile marker, a metal pipe continuously allows groundwater to flow to the surface. As the city's water services do not extend very far south on the island, for those living outside city limits it is an important source of water. That is why Wrangell Cooperative Association's IGAP office has done monthly testing on water from 10-mile pipe, and why this month they announced the discovery of coliforms found in it. Coliforms, according to IGAP technician Kim Wickman, are bacteria that are found in all environments.

"There's fecal coliforms and then there's just coliforms," Wickman said. "We do total coliforms so it's going to count everything, including fecal. So it could be that somebody went potty near the stream or it can be that a leaf is breaking down somewhere nearby, and as it's breaking down it's producing different types of bacteria."

The WCA typically tests the water at 10-mile pipe once a month. Since the discovery of coliforms, however, Wickman goes to the pipe once a week for more tests. She added that they found coliforms in the water roughly at the same time last year, as well. As of the most recent test, on August 13, she said coliforms were still present. She said that there's a chance people who are not used to drinking from 10-mile pipe could experience stomach issues, but to her knowledge nobody has gotten sick yet.

"We try to give them [the public] information and what they do with it is their choice. Some people will say, 'no, it's not safe,' some people say, 'oh, it's fine.' It's up to them."

Wickman said that they plan to continue testing the water until coliforms are no longer present. She recommended that people always disinfect ground or surface water before drinking it, regardless.

The 10-mile pipe is not the only resource that WCA tests to ensure the public health, however. Being an island community, as well as one with a large native Alaskan population, shellfish are a big concern of Wickman.

"We want people to eat shellfish," she said. "It is a subsistence food. Lots of tribal and community members enjoy them but we want them to do it in a manner that is safe. So we need to provide them with the best education that we can."

Shellfish, such as blue mussels common around places like Shoemaker Harbor, are filter feeders. The most common thing for them to eat is plankton. However, there are some types of plankton that carry toxins that are dangerous for both people and animals. To ensure safety, Wickman makes weekly trips out to Shoemaker Harbor and Pat's Landing. There she gathers water samples with a special net to help catch plankton. These samples are reviewed at the WCA office, she said, where the water is tested for any plankton population, as well as what kind. While at Shoemaker Bay, Wickman also gathers several blue mussels to send to a lab in Sitka, where they can be checked for toxins.

"Plankton's a wonderful thing," she said. "It is basically the bottom of the food chain. Everybody eats plankton, one way or the other. It's very healthy; we want plankton in the water. Certain types, in large quantities, can cause issues."

The WCA IGAP office can be reached at (907) 874-4304. Wickman can be contacted at igaptech.wca@gmail.com.