Heavy metal contamination leaves water ‘undrinkable’ in Norwegian town

Residents in a former coal mining town in Norway do not have access to drinkable tap water as its water sources have been contaminated with unsafe levels of heavy metals.

Longyearbyen, a small metropolis of around 2,400 people in the Svalbard archipelago, has suffered several threats to its water sources since last year, set off by climate change accelerating the thawing of permafrost.

Due to abnormally high temperatures, the melted permafrost has exposed a bedrock that contains the mineral pyrite, or fool’s gold.

This mineral has caused the leaching of sulphate, nickel and manganese into the town’s main water source, the Isdammen pond.

Though the council has confirmed that manganese levels have decreased for now, sulphate and nickel levels have increased and exceeded recommended limits.

Exposure to these metals has been linked to nausea, diarrhoea and skin irritation, with manganese found to cause neurological damage to infants.

Free drinking water is now being supplied by Svalbard Brewery, which is produced via reverse osmosis and, according to the council, meets all the requirements of safe drinking water, including smell and taste.

Water scarcity

Climate-related water scarcity has become a growing concern across the world, and is linked to energy and food insecurity.

The UN has recommended that engineering solutions are needed to manage water scarcity, including developing more carbon storage infrastructure and treating wastewater for reuse.

Longyearbyen’s mayor has suggested “expensive” solutions to managing the town’s water crisis, including installing a filtration system to Isdammen and building a desalination plant for further water processing.