High manganese content in drinking water – recommendation not to drink tap water
Test results from drinking water in Longyearbyen show high concentrations of manganese.
Some measurements have shown values of up to 1000 µg/l, which exceeds the recommended limit values.
According to the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI), there is no acute health risk associated with drinking the water. It is long-term consumption over several years that may pose a health risk.
Senior physician Ole Tveiten at Longyearbyen Hospital confirms this:
"We emphasize that there is no risk of acute poisoning, and the recommendations concern the possible effects of long-term consumption. There is therefore no danger associated with using small amounts of water in cooking for people over one year of age, but for the time being, it is recommended that the population of Longyearbyen of all ages avoid drinking tap water," says Tveiten.
Showering does not pose a health risk.
Recommendations:
- We do not recommend drinking tap water.
- Limit the use of tap water for cooking.
This will be a trust-based system, so we ask everyone to be considerate and help ensure that everyone has enough water for their daily consumption.
You can read the article about water samples published on October 2, at this link.
- If you have children aged 0-12 months, each child up to one year old will receive ten liters of water per week. You can read more about this at this link
Other issues concerning drinking water:
- Businesses can read more at this link
- Complex choices for water purification - Longyearbyen Local Council External link.
- Measures to reduce manganese in drinking water - Longyearbyen Local Council External link.
Can dogs drink tap water?
Longyearbyen Local Council has obtained a statement from the Norwegian Veterinary Institute:
"Manganese (Mn) is very low in toxicity for animals, and the problem with very high levels of Mn in feed or drinking water will primarily be disrupted absorption/utilization of other minerals such as iron, calcium, and phosphorus. An approximately 10-fold increase in Mn in drinking water is therefore not considered to pose a health problem for animals (dogs) in Svalbard. However, water with excessively high Mn content will often be discolored (contaminated with soil) and could pose a taste or aesthetic problem, or possibly a microbiological problem.
The Veterinary Institute believes that this elevated level of Mn in drinking water is still safe for animals (dogs) to consume.
Feel free to visit us at vetinst.no External link.
Questions about health? Contact Longyearbyen Hospital by phone: 76 17 33 00
For other questions:
Call Longyearbyen Local Council: 79 02 21 50
Updated