Some autumn storms with lots of rain have raised water levels in mountain reservoirs, and eased the need for restrictions on water consumption in Oslo. City officials have lifted measures put in place to save water last spring.
The conservation measures apparently helped, too, according to the leader of Oslo’s city government, Raymond Johansen. “I’m impressed by Oslo folks’ contributions during the past several months,” he said when announcing an end to the still-voluntary measures. “This situation has taught us that we can’t take nature’s resources for granted.”
The city is also finally constructing a new multi-billion-kroner water delivery system to Oslo from the Holsfjord west of the Norwegian capital, aimed at ensuring safe drinking water supplies. Oslo has long had excellent, cold drinking water right out of the tap, but most all of it comes from just one large lake in the local valley of Maridalen, which in turn is fed by creeks running through the northern hills and forests of Nordmarka.
That lake, which covers 90 percent of the drinking water for Oslo’s 700,000 residents will now be joined by another source, important since the lake fell to record-low water levels last winter and spring. Now they’re back up at 77 percent of normal, which is set at 83.9 percent. The new water into Oslo from Holsfjord is expected to start flowing in 2028.
NewsinEnglish.no staff
