Over the course of the last five years, drinking water in Oslo reached a critically low level ten times. Four new reservoirs will now be built to provide the Water and Sewerage Authority larger reserves when supplies are shrinking.
Newspaper Aftenposten reported that Oslo is more vulnerable than other cities because about 90 percent of the drinking water comes from one source: Maridalsvannet treatment plant at Oset.
When the level becomes critically low, it is usually due to an open circuit, or a stoppage at the treatment plant.
In such a situation, the Water and Sewerage Authority has between two to four hours to fix the problem, or start up the backup facility before the capital theoretically runs out of drinking water.
In the city council’s budget for 2017, 1.35 billion has been set aside (through to 2022) for the construction of four new reservoirs in the hills at Maridalsvannet.
This will provide the Water and Sewerage Authority with three to four hours of additional standby time. From 2012, Oslo households have paid 179 million extra fees to finance this investment.
Environment and transport councillor, Lan Marie Nguyen Berg (MDGs), emphasised that Oslo has safe and clean water today.
‘But we have a lot of investment to do, as we must ensure adequate preparedness. We have a report on new water supply needs for external quality assurance. A political decision will be reached soon’, she said.
Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today
