Dear Editor: During my recent visit to Sitka, I was truly amazed at all the great work the Sitka Rotary Club is doing in their community. From supporting youth programs to hosting their annual Duck Race, their energy, creativity, and commitment to service were inspiring. Watching how much joy and purpose they bring to Sitka reminded me that Rotary’s impact stretches far beyond one club or one town, it’s a statewide movement of Alaskans doing good wherever there’s a need.
That spirit of service came to mind again as I reflected on the tremendous work being done in Western Alaska.
When disasters strike Alaska’s farthest reaches, it’s not just the wind and water that test our resolve; it’s the distance. As Typhoon Halong tore across the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta this fall, dozens of Alaska Native communities were left without power, housing, and most critically, safe drinking water.
In moments like these, Alaskans always step up for one another, and this time, Rotary has something new to bring to the table: a practical, homegrown solution built right here in Alaska.
Four years ago, following the loss of the water plant in Tuluksuk, Rotary District 5010, in partnership with The Denali Commission, launched an ambitious project to design and build emergency water purification units capable of producing thousands of gallons of clean water per day, even in freezing conditions. These systems aren’t city-sized plants; they’re compact, helicopter-portable treatment units that fit on an eight-foot pallet and deploy almost anywhere.
The idea was spearheaded by Past District 5010 Governor Mike Pollen, whose vision and persistence helped turn the concept into reality. Working closely with Jon Dufendach, president of CampWater Industries in Fairbanks, Rotary found the perfect partner. Dufendach’s team engineered and fabricated the systems to withstand Alaska’s rugged conditions, from subzero temperatures to tundra transport, and trained both volunteers and Alaska State Defense Force personnel on their operation and maintenance.
Two of these systems were gifted to the Alaska State Defense Force, which trained enlisted personnel alongside Rotary volunteers to operate them in the field. Today, one unit is stationed in Bethel, the heart of the Y-K Delta; another can be airlifted by C-17 aircraft from Eielson Air Force Base to wherever disaster strikes; and a third unit is currently positioned in Nome, ready to serve the Bering Strait and Northwest Arctic regions. Each unit can produce up to 7,000 gallons of potable water per day, enough to sustain hundreds of residents in a crisis.
That’s not just an engineering success; it’s an economic one. Anyone who’s ever flown bottled water into Western Alaska knows that a single pallet costs a small fortune. These mobile purification systems eliminate that burden by creating clean water locally, at a fraction of the cost and with far less environmental waste.
But Rotary’s work doesn’t stop at deployment. District 5010 is now securing ongoing funding through grants, partnerships, and donations to ensure that once the ASDF deploys these units, they can be maintained, serviced, and resupplied for years to come. Sustainability matters. It’s one thing to deliver emergency aid; it’s another to make sure that aid keeps flowing when the next storm hits.
In a time when rebuilding efforts after Typhoon Halong are stretching state and federal resources thin, Rotary’s initiative shows what’s possible when local ingenuity meets Rotary’s motto: “Service Above Self.” This project wasn’t built by outsiders; it was built by Alaskans, for Alaskans. It’s proof that when community organizations, state partners, and volunteers work together every day, we can deliver hope and resilience to every corner of our great state.
As Western Alaska begins its long road to recovery, clean water will be one of the first building blocks of healing. And thanks to Rotary’s foresight and dedication, that clean water , and the hope it carries, can now be delivered by helicopter.
Representing more than 1,300 Rotarians across Alaska, from Utqiaġvik (Barrow) to Ketchikan and everywhere in between, including our newest club in Kotzebue, Rotary District 5010 connects neighbors, leaders, and problem solvers who see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change, both locally and globally.
Marty Metiva, Big Lake,
District Governor,
Rotary International District 5010
