Askøy to review handling of kettle warnings
Askøy municipality will review all the kettle warnings they have issued to the inhabitants in recent years. The municipality has broken the duty to notify about the recommendation to boil water five times in two years.
“I realize that people are sceptical and lack confidence in that the municipality is delivering safe and good water at the moment. We will go through the kettle warnings from the last three years and state the reason for the warnings,” Deputy Mayor of Askøy, Bård Espeli, tells Dagbladet.
He states that the alerts have been issued for various reasons.
Breach of duty
The Norwegian Food Safety Authority was never notified of the kettle warnings that were issued to the inhabitants. The municipality thus broke the obligation to provide information. According to the Food Safety Authority, this happened five times in two years.
“The Municipality of Askøy has a duty to provide us with information every time notifications are issued to residents. Five alerts have been issued in the past two years, which we have not been notified of,” Department Manager in the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, Greater Bergen, Aslaug Sandvin, tells Norwegian TV2.
Sandvin explains that this is a clear violation of the requirements of the drinking water regulations. These breaches of the duty to provide information are criticised.
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Many have received kettle warnings
Between 10,000 and 15,000 inhabitants are affected by the ongoing drinking water scandal. Many of these have received kettle warnings previously.
Sandvin says that this incident, as well as other issues, entail that the Norwegian Food Safety Authority will certainly introduce further measures to follow up the municipality.
“We are first and foremost concerned with mapping the incident, finding the source of infection, and returning to a normal state of affairs as soon as possible,” she explains.
Follow-up
Mayor of Askøy, Terje Mathiassen (Labour), asserts that this will be followed up.
“I was not aware that the issuing of kettle warnings was not passed on to the Norwegian Food Safety Authority. If the regulations are as TV2 states, and this is not done, then I’m naturally sorry about that. This is, of course, something we will follow up and make sure that the guidelines are followed,” he concludes.
“We are in the process of reviewing the kettle warnings,” Deputy Mayor Espelid rounds off.
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© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
