Friday, Oct 19 2012 4:15PM

Kwethluk, Alaska, residents who previously used unsanitary sewage systems will receive proper sanitary systems via a grant from a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development program.

The Alaska Dispatch reports 16 villages will soon benefit from a Rural Alaska Village Grant worth $29 million, which will retire the primitive use of honey buckets, that have previously served as toilets. A lack of pipelines and running water has prevented many rural parts of the state, especially those in the southwest region.

While construction will create jobs for many living in these areas, the city manager of Kwethluk, David Epochook, is optimistic about the economic benefits for the community.

"The current grant sounds like a large chunk of  money, but it's only for part of the construction that has already been in place for two decades," Epchook told the source. "It will have an impact on the economy, but more importantly the community will gain a structure for the future."

State officials have recognized this as an issue, as former Governor Tony Knowles began making progress back in 1995. Despite these advances, Matt Dixon, vice president of operations for consortium's division of environmental health and engineering, noted 20 percent of all rural homes still lack access to proper water and sewage services, which remains a major issue with health in the area.

For further information, check out this source: The Alaska Dispatch