Work is proceeding well on new drinking water mains in Oslo

The City of Oslo is building a new reserve water supply, which will be big enough to supply all 700,000 residents of the city with clean drinking water. This summer, construction of the main drinking water pipeline started, a project which will provide a vital connection between the east and the west of the city. Around 90 per cent of residents currently receive their water from the Oset water treatment plant on the Maridalsvannet lake, but the vulnerability of this supply makes it unsustainable. It has therefore become necessary to build a new reserve water supply. This work is already well underway in Huseby and at Holsfjorden, but another major milestone has now been reached in the New Water Supply Oslo Project.

This is the third of four major contracts for construction work on what is Norway’s biggest water supply project, and has a value of NOK 8.77 billion. Work is being carried out by the AF Ghella Joint Venture.

Sirin Stav is the Vice Mayor for Environment and Transport, and she triggered the first blast for the building of the tunnel at the main rig area in Stubberud, in the Alna district.

“Water is essential for life. Without water, we would not be able to live in our city. We cannot risk Norway’s capital city being left without access to clean drinking water – the consequences would be too great. This new water supply will provide Oslo with a secure supply of drinking water that will benefit generations to come. The construction work that is beginning today is an investment in the security of all Oslo’s residents,” declared the Vice Mayor, before triggering the blast.

The Agency for Water and Sewerage Works is building an 11km tunnel from the main rig area at Stubberud, by the E6 motorway. When completed, the tunnel will carry drinking water from the Huseby water treatment plant to the city’s distribution network. The tunnel will run from Stubberud in the east to Huseby in the west, and most of it will be constructed using a tunnel boring machine.

“This represents a key milestone in our work to build a reliable reserve water supply for the people of Oslo. The distribution of drinking water to residents is absolutely vital to ensure that we have a secure and robust water supply in Oslo,” concluded Anna Maria Aursund, who is Director of the Agency for Water and Sewerage Works.