The Daily Alaska empire., 1940-03-31
1939,p 9,pR0GREss
 IN SANITATION
 E0UT5TANDING
Division of Public Health Engineering Active for
 Residents Welfare
Division of Public Health Engin-
 eering

Progress in sanitation has been, during the past year, of great value in the protection of public health of the Territory of Alaska. Im- provement in public water supplies, sewerage and other phases of mu- nicipal sanitation has been marked and the progress in milk sanitation has been unprecedented. Increased observance of sanitary regulations in eating and drinking places. canner- ies and other establishments has been helpful in maintaining the public health at a high level.
 The problem of the control and conservation of sanitation in Alaska is the function of the Division of Public Health Engineering of the Territorial Department of Health. The work of this Division includes the sanitary supervision of public water supplies and sewerage; re- view and approval of plans and spec ifications for the construction or addition to public water supplies and sewerage systems; certification of public water supplies used in Inter state Commerce carriers; sanitary inspection of food establishments, salmon canneries, bathing places, and barber and beauty shops; sani- tary control of milk production, pas teurization and distribution; inves- tigation of insanitary conditions; and the promotion of public health and sanitation by public addresses, conferences and dissemination of in- formation.
 Water Supply
 Improvement in municipal sani- tation during the past year has minimized the potential menace of a poorly protected public water supply and improper sewage and waste disposal methods in many an Alaskan community.
 A new water supply was con- structed in the community of Pal mer. This supply, derived from a nearby spring area, displaced the two wells which had become made quate. The supplies of Skagway and Juneau, which are also certified for use in Interstate Commerce carriers, were provided with such protective construction changes as recommend ed by the Division The distribu- tion system of the Anchorage sup ply was extended under Works Progress Administra ton project.
 The sewage disposal plant at Pal mer was reconstructed to provide adequate disposal of the plant ef- fluent This plant, an Imhof-type septic tank, one of the few con- munity sewage disposal plants in the Territory, is used for the treat ment of the community sewage and cannery wastes of the Matansuka Valley Civic Center
 A new sewerage system was con- Istructed in the town of Fairbanks under the Public Works Admins stration. Extensions were made to existing sewers in the towns of Ju- ineau, Ketchikan, Anchorage and Petersburg under WPA relief work programs.
 Sanitation Ordinance i A comprehensive public health and sanitation ordinance, drawn up by the Division, was adopted during the year by the towns of Petersburg and Sitka. This ordinance embrac- es all phases of community sanita- tion control and has provided for an effective local supervision of water supplies, sewerage, garbage collec- tion and disposal and food estab- lishment sanitation.
 l Milk sanitation has made great progress in the Territory during the past year The protection and pre- fservation of milk, mems most prec- iouS food, is an all-important func- tion of the Division of Public Health Engineering. as it is potentially one of the most dangerous vehicles of disease
 Early in the year, through effect i've enforcement of the Territorial Standard Milk Ordinance, milk im- portat ton was banned from milk sheds in the States not governed by