Veitur receive 330 dirty-water reports from west Reykjavik

Veitur has received 330 reports of dirty water and poor water flow in homes in Vesturbær, a neighbourhood in Reykjavik, since October 9, mbl.is reports.

Residents say hot water coming from taps and showers has been dirty, and that deposits clogging tap filters have slowed the flow. Veitur spokesperson Silja Ingólfsdóttir told mbl.is that the number of reports was unusually high and that the utility had resolved 270 of them.

Ingólfsdóttir said the problem is seasonal and occurs each autumn as hot-water use increases. Deposits form inside water pipes from naturally occurring substances in the hot water, she said. The Reykja pipelines, trunk mains in the capital region’s district heating system, could also be a cause. One of the mains was cleaned internally and flushed shortly before the reports began.

Veitur is investigating the cause and has sent samples from filters and screens for chemical analysis. The company’s larger filters in the distribution network catch most particles before they reach homes. Veitur staff are also available to help residents clean their filters, and Ingólfsdóttir encouraged people to contact the utility for assistance.

She said the reports are not connected to drilling for hot water at Engjateigur in Laugardalur, which began the week before last. “We haven’t reached the hot water there,” she said. Most of the water supplied to Vesturbær comes from low-temperature geothermal areas in Mosfellsbær.