Important information about drinking water - recommendation not to drink tap water

The tap water in Longyearbyen does not currently meet water quality standards. The levels of sulfate and nickel exceed the recommended limits.

Manganese levels have decreased, but sulfate and nickel levels have increased.

Here you can read updated information (May 11, 2026) about water quality in Longyearbyen: Changes in water quality - Longyearbyen Local Council External link.

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Recommendations:

• We do not recommend drinking tap water.
• Limit the use of tap water for cooking.

Starting Monday, September 29, you can get free water by filling your own container from the bulk container at the Svalbard Store.

This will be a trust-based system, so we ask everyone to be considerate and help ensure that everyone has enough water for daily consumption.

You can read the article about water samples published on October 2 via this link.

• If you have children aged 0–12 months, each child under one year of age is entitled to ten liters of water per week. You can read more about this at this link

Other topics related to drinking water:

• Businesses can read more via this link
• Complex choices for water treatment - Longyearbyen Local Council External link.
• Measures to reduce manganese in drinking water - Longyearbyen Local Council External link.

Can dogs drink tap water?

The Longyearbyen Local Council has obtained a statement from the Norwegian Veterinary Institute:

"Manganese (Mn) is very low in toxicity to animals, and the problem with very elevated levels of Mn in feed or drinking water would primarily be impaired 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 risk to 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 issue, or possibly a microbiological problem.

The Norwegian Veterinary Institute believes that this elevated level of Mn in drinking water is still safe for animals (dogs)."

Feel free to visit us at vetinst.no External link.

Health questions? Contact Longyearbyen Hospital by phone: 76 17 33 00

For other questions:
Call the Longyearbyen Local Council: 79 02 21 50