We live on a peninsula in Norway, called Nesodden. The place is close to our capital Oslo. We want to inform you about how spare time activities affects our water.
Nesodden has a lot of forests and beaches. There are also a lot of cabins on Nesodden.
A few years ago, there was discovered a problem with the football pitches. The rubber granules made to protect players from bad falls, are an environmental problem. After someone had been on the pitch, many of these rubber granules would get stuck to the clothes or shoes. When it starts to rain, the rubber dots will flow with the rain and out in other waters. “-Therefore, the county has decided to look for more environmental-friendly alternatives.”- Wenche Dorum.
We mentioned that there are a lot of cabins here. Many cabins are not connected to the sewage and water systems. They are finding other ways to throw out their dirty water and sewage. That may be the biggest problem for our water. Somewhere there are found salmonella in the drinking water. “Cabins with old/ not approved private sewage systems do sometimes give unwanted sewage to lakes and streams. Sewage from humans and animals have a lot of bacteria in it. Therefore, the county demands upgrading of old/not approved sewage systems or to connect the private sewage to communal ones.”- Wenche Dorum
Skiing is an activity that many Norwegians enjoy during the winter months. In order to make your skis glide well on the snow, you often need a wax made from several chemicals. These chemicals are not only harmful for humans, but also the environment. “Many of these chemicals can change the hormonal balance, be carcinogenic and affect the organism’s reproductive abilities.”- Wenche Dorum.
Our waters are more polluted than what some people think, but organisations, the government and people in general are trying to spread awareness so that one day, our water can be 100% clean.
Sources:
«Velg miljøvennlig I skisporet dropp flourkarbon – gli» written by Martin Ødegaard, published 13.03.2014
“Kommunal vannforskyning” written by Nesodden kommune, Published 19.07.2016
https://www.nesodden.kommune.no/vei-vann/vann-og-avlop/kommunal-vannforsyning/
“Hovedplan drikkevann og vannmiljø” written by Nesodden kommune, published 2009.
