Municipal water supply, 2006

Norway had 1 017 municipal waterworks with around 3.97 million users in 2006 (85 per cent of the population). The waterworks produced 712 million cubic metres (m³) of water, corresponding to an average production of 179 m³ per capita. In 2005, the corresponding figures were 697 million m³ and 178 m³ respectively. The variations in production are mainly attributable to natural fluctuations in water use.

99 per cent had safe drinking water

Based on the reporting to the waterworks register, 99 per cent of those who are connected to municipal waterworks had a satisfactory content of thermo-tolerant intestinal bacteria in their water, while 82 per cent had satisfactory levels of colour and 70 per cent had satisfactory levels of acidity (pH).

According to the waterworks, around one third of the production in 2006 was lost due to leakages in the pipeline system. Households were the main consumers of water produced by municipal waterworks (42 per cent). The remaining water was delivered to the food industry (7 per cent), other industries (11 per cent), to the agricultural sector and other consumers (9 per cent).

The water quality varies from municipality to municipality (see figures 2 - 4). The main cause of negative test results on thermo-tolerant intestinal bacteria in the water is normally lack of treatment facilities in some waterworks. Two main causes of high acidity are run-off from acidic rocks in mountainous areas and acidic rain in parts of the country. Coloured water is mainly caused by humus from decomposed organic matter, primarily affecting lower lying areas of the country.

0.69 per cent annual water pipeline renewal

Based on the 2006 reporting, estimates show that there are nearly 43 000 kilometres of municipal water pipelines in Norway, of which around 28 per cent were installed in 1970 or earlier. In the period 2004 - 2006, the average renewal rate of water pipelines was about 0.69 per cent per year. This equals a lifetime of around 145 years for the pipelines, given the same rate in the future.

Water fee differences

The municipal fixed annual fee for stipulated water consumption is NOK 2 146 on average for the country as a whole. This is an increase of 3 per cent since 2006. The country figure is based on county averages.

Hedmark county has the highest fee (NOK 2 739 on average per year) and Oslo county the lowest (NOK 1 034 on average per year). Hedmark also has the highest price per cubic metre of water (payment for water used) with NOK 11.64 on average, while Aust-Agder has the lowest price with NOK 5.65 on average.

Akershus had the highest water connection fee with an average price of NOK 17 095.

KOSTRA key figures for average annual fee presented in Statbank , constitutes the most common type of fee charged by the municipality (fixed annual fee or charge by water use). The average annual fee (NOK 2 207) in the KOSTRA key figures therefore deviates from the fixed annual fee above.

For more information, go to KOSTRA (Municipality-State-Reporting): Municipality activities .

See also: KOSTRA: Municipal wastewater

Tables:

• Table 1 Municipal water fees, for a private dwelling of 120 m. County and country averages. 2007. NOK