Protect the water
The biggest responsibility we have at Veitur is to take care of the water reservoirs for which we are entrusted, to use them sustainably and to bring this necessity to all homes.
The biggest responsibility we have at Veitur is to take care of the water reservoirs for which we are entrusted, to use them sustainably and to bring this necessity to all homes. Good clean water for everyone, now and for the future, is our goal.
March 22 is the World Water Day. It is a good occasion to consider the wonder that water is. UNICEF in Iceland actively participates in the international day of the water.
Did you know that 1 billion people worldwide do not have access to good drinking water?
Find out more facts and tips about cold water.
Protection of drinking water
The cold water that comes from our tabs is called drinking water. It is important that the drinking water is clean and uncontaminated since we both drink it and it is used in various food productions.
The drinking water in Iceland contains a small amount of minerals compared to our neighbouring countries. That means our water is a very good cold drink. Even the best in the world. But according to the country's most important coffee experts, Icelandic water is not particularly good for coffee making because of the lack of minerals. Icelandic coffee makers therefore need to burn the coffee beans a little more than usual to counter this.
The water reservoirs we use are in a water conservation area and it is very important that these areas do not pollute, for example with garbage, oil, sewage or other materials, as these materials can penetrate the earth's layers and seep into the water that flows underground into the water reservoirs.
Veitur’s water reservoirs are a total of 13; in the capital area, and in South and West Iceland. The water from these reservoirs is distributed to around 45% of the population.
You can join us! Our water reservoirs are precious and our responsibility. We emphasize that people be careful when in those areas, especially in Heiðmörk.
In the capital area, our water reservoir is in Heiðmörk. On this photo, you can see the size of the water protection area in Heiðmörk. As can be seen, it is very extensive. We at Veitur are a little worried about the increasing traffic in the water conservation area, and especially when oil is being transported in large quantities around Suðurlandsvegur which is on the outskirts of the water conservation area.
Many things are done to monitor the water reservoirs and to prevent them from being contaminated. Health surveillance in each area takes a regular sample of the water to monitor that no contamination has occurred.
In recent years, 97% -100% of the water examples have met the quality requirements.
It is important that everyone that visit the water conservation area understand the importance of treating it with respect and let authorities know immediately if they find something they think might contaminate our water. We all want clean water for everyone in the future.
Here on the web and on our Facebook page you can find a wide range of information about water reservoirs, water protection, water supply and water itself.