Fearing contamination of drinking water throughout Norway - AP

(AP) The drinking water for large parts of the population are at risk of being contaminated due to waterworks’s lack of control wiring.

according to an audit report from the FSA published Tuesday. In 2012, led the supervision of 491 Norwegian waterworks, which supplies drinking water to 3.88 million Norwegians – 77 percent of the population.

– The findings are discouraging. Waterworks have poor control of essential points when it comes to wiring. This applies policies and plans they should have to prevent pollution, says audit director Kristina Landsverk the FSA to VG.

The report states in part that “there is concern that such deviations occur so often.”

Check if your water supply is controlled here

– The findings are serious

The report reveals that four out of five of the controlled waterworks has been detected deviations. Only 94 of the 491 had everything in order. Although the FSA in this game primarily has examined plans and procedures, points out that the wiring Landsverk also not satisfactory.

– For many, it’s probably not surprising that the wiring is bad. It is important that the water coming out from the water company are of good quality, but it does not help if we have a bad wiring. The findings are serious, says Landsverk.

– How concerned should people be sure their drinking water is contaminated?

– It is difficult to quantify or estimate. But we have had cases of contamination of drinking water where wiring is the cause. Following these findings, we probably expect to get it in the future too. Therefore there is a great need to reduce the risk of contamination of drinking water, says Landsverk.

larger waterworks better than small

class=”edrumImageCaption”> SUPERVISORY DIRECTOR: Kristina Landsverk the FSA. Photo: FSA

In the controlled waterworks was most findings related to inadequate procedures to prevent contaminated water from entering the cable leading drinking water. As many as 70 percent had discrepancies related to the transportation system’s condition, operations or threat of intake and return.

Same time, almost half of waterworks discrepancies when it came demands for preparedness, emergency drills and to have an updated risk assessment and contingency plan. The major waterworks going better than the small, by having fewer deviations than the controlled overall.

Landsverk points out, however, that the consequences of an incident at a large water utilities are much larger consequences than by supplying fewer people with drinking water.

– The challenges are not less of coping with floods and bad weather – they are firmer. It’s not something you can just run from.

– Significant investment needs

Landsverk hope documentation about procedures and violations of regulations FSA now comes with will cause it happens improvements.

– It costs money to keep problems away, and municipalities must prioritize spending on repairs of pipelines over other things. There is a considerable need for investment here – but this must municipalities have control over, says Landsverk.

– We expect the authorities follow up and do the job they do.

Different forms of reaction

Against waterworks that have less severe deviations FSA provided guidance on relevant regulatory requirements, pointed out that the rules are not observed and that the water company has responsibility to follow the rules – this is called pliktpåpekning in the table the bottom of the article.

In cases where discrepancies are more severe FSA has notified the waterworks that they will make a decision – called the decision notice in the table. Then water company the opportunity to express themselves within a certain time. If they can not demonstrate improvement, the audit with an order rectification within a time limit.

– It is difficult for us to go to that step to close the taps, but we put some respite from case to case , until we eventually come to other reactions. In cases where there is talk of investments of several million, it may take years to repair.

– The industry takes it seriously

class=”edrumImageCaption”> ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: Toril Hofshagen in Norwegian waters. Photo: Norwegian Water

Deputy Director Toril Hofshagen in trade Norwegian Water is pleased that FSA has focused on what lies buried and not think daily.

– The discoveries made will come as a surprise to the industry. Conducting such an infrastructure is a big responsibility. It is a job to be done around the clock throughout the country in all municipalities, she says to VG.

– But does not such a large extent of deviation worries?

– All statistics show that almost 100 percent of the population receives adequate water quality of public water and drinking water quality has never been as good as today. On the other hand, the rules stricter and stricter, and the requirement for plans and procedures waterworks shall have become more extensive. It takes business seriously, says Hofshagen.

She says that trade association now wants a closer dialogue with the FSA on the necessary measures.

– Rules as currently provides no clear answer at all points, so it can also be the cause of some of the differences, says Hofshagen.

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