Water protection
The objective is to safeguard the groundwater of the capital area's water protection zones and thereby ensure the highest safety and quality of untreated drinking water in the capital area for the future.
About the water protection area
The capital area is situated on the edge of a vast field of lava and gray basalt. The bedrock is highly porous, absorbing nearly all precipitation. Therefore, most rainfall in the capital area flows to the sea through groundwater currents.
The main water protection area extends from Bláfjöll in the northwest to the urban limits of the area. In the southwest, it reaches the borders with Vatnsleysustrandarhreppur, in the south to the borders with Grindavík, and in the east to the borders with the municipality of Ölfus
Regulatory framework
The water protection area of the capital area is governed by Resolution No. 555/2015, with the objective to ensure the protection of groundwater so that the quality of drinking water at the source always satisfies the demands of current legislation.
This enhances the long-term purity and quality of untreated drinking water in the capital area by preventing undesired impacts from activities, operations, and actions on the water protection zones of the water sources in the area.
All municipalities in the capital area collaborate on this Resolution. The three public health authorities s in the capital area constitute a directorate that oversees the water protection area.
Water Conservation Directorate
Meeting minutes and annual reports of the Water Conservation Directorate in the capital area.
Reykjavík Public Health
Inquiries or suggestions
- Email: heilbrigdiseftirlit@reykjavik.is
- Borgartún 12, 105 Reykjavík
- Phone 411 1111