Impacts of climate change on drinking water quality in Norway

Abstract

Climate change will lead to higher temperatures, increased precipitation and runoff, as well as more intense and frequent extreme weather events in Norway. More extreme rainfall and increased runoff are historically associated with higher concentrations of indicator bacteria, colour and turbidity in raw water of Norwegian waterworks. Regional information about the risk for drinking water deterioration by the end of the century is essential for evaluating potential treatment capacity upgrades at the waterworks. We combined locally downscaled future climate scenarios with historical associations between weather/runoff and water quality from a wide spread of waterworks in Norway. With continued climate change, we estimate higher concentrations of water quality indicators of raw water by the end of the century. The water quality is estimated to deteriorate mainly due to the projected increase in rainfall, and mainly in the Western and Northern parts of Norway. While large waterworks seem to be able to adapt to future conditions, the degradation of raw water quality may cause future challenges for the treatment processes at smaller waterworks. Combining these results with further studies of treatment effects and microbial risk assessments is needed to ensure sufficient treatment capacities of the raw water in the future.

Estimating the risk of gastrointestinal illness associated with drinking water in Norway: a prospective cohort study

“…However, concerns about the risk of waterborne outbreaks are emerging due to an increase in the hygienic load related to the import of new or re-emerging pathogens from the effects of climate change, people travelling abroad, pressure from the expansion of dwelling areas, and activities near raw water sources (26,27,46). With increasing severe weather due to climate change, the quality of water and safe operation of the water supply system in Norway may decrease, limiting the generalizability of these results to the future (47), although documented health effects on waterborne diseases linked to climate change in Norway are scarce (48).…”

Evaluation of Potential Factors Influencing the Dissemination of Multidrug-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae and Alternative Treatment Strategies

“…Flooding, for instance, damages municipal sewage systems leading to the overflow of sewage into water reservoirs such as rivers, oceans, and lakes [ 78 ]. Consequently, this water leads to the distribution of pathogenic microorganisms to surface waters and vegetation [ 79 ]. Evidence from flooding incidences in the United States of America such as New Orleans in 2005 (Hurricane Katrina) and Houston in 2017 suggest an increase in the distribution of infection-disease causing pathogens such as E. coli, K. pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas species in flooded areas with some of the bacteria carrying antibiotic-resistant genes [ 80 ].…”

Клімат, Вода Та Інфекції: Нові Виклики Для Півдня України На Тлі Старих Проблем

“…На думку авторів роботи [10], у Норвегії зміна клімату призведе до підвищення температури, збільшення кількості опадів і стоку, а також більш інтенсивних і частих екстремальних погодних явищ. Більш екстремальна кількість опадів і збільшення стоку історично пов'язані з вищими концентраціями індикаторних бактерій, кольоровістю і каламутністю у сирій воді норвезьких водопровідних станцій.…”