Longyearbyen tap water declared undrinkable after heavy metal contamination linked to thawing permafrost
Residents of Longyearbyen in Svalbard have been told not to drink tap water after heavy metal contamination was detected in the town's supply. The warning affects the main settlement in the Norwegian Arctic archipelago, where the drinking water comes from Isdammen, a dammed lake about 2.5km long. Scientists say the contamination is linked to thawing permafrost and exposed bedrock in one of the fastest-warming places on Earth.The municipality first alerted its 2,600 residents after manganese levels in the water supply were found to be 25 times higher than the 50 micrograms per litre recommended by the Norwegian Institute of Public... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 19 Oct 2026 06:35 LONDON
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