Sanitary Conditions In Alaska

Larger Alaskan towns along the southern coast have sewers to carry off waste into the sea. On the Yukon, in summer, garbage is dumped into the river. In winter it is deposited on the ice where it remains until the break up in the summer when it is carried to the sea. In communities without sewers, refuse is dumped on the ground or into pits; human excreta is disposed of in privies. The pail system is used in towns on the Bering Sea. Residents have many ailments due to unsanitary conditions, e.g., diseases of the eye, including trachoma, and food poisoning.