Oslo Consumers Willing to Pay More for Improved Services

• Published in: Journal AWWA
• Main Authors: Venkatesh, Govindarajan, Ugarelli, Rita
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2010
• Subjects: Norway; Langlia; Vestfjorden
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/j.1551-8833.2010.tb11342.x; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fj.1551-8833.2010.tb11342.x; https://awwa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/j.1551-8833.2010.tb11342.x

The city of Oslo in southern Norway has a population of about 600,000 people and is supplied with water by three water treatment plants—Oset, Skullerud, and Langlia—that draw raw water from Maridalsvannet, Elvåga, and Langlivannet lakes, respectively. Treated water from the four plants reaches consumers in the domestic, industrial, and commercial sectors of the city through approximately 35,000 water pipes with a total length of more than 1,500 kilometres. Sewage and stormwater (i.e., rainwater and snowmelt) are transported to two wastewater treatment plants—Bekkelaget Vann As (BEVAS) and Vestfjorden Avløpselskap (VEAS)—through more than 54,000 pipes with a total length of about 2,200 kilometres. Water and sewage pumping stations pressurize the respective flows. The treated effluent wends its way into the Oslo Fjord, which is contiguous with the Atlantic Ocean. Like all urban water and sanitation agencies, the Oslo VAV (water and sewage works) has challenges, and “sustainable development” is becoming a key point on its agenda. Govindarajan Venkatesh, a researcher in the Department of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), and Rita Ugarelli, adjunct professor at NTNU and research scientist at SINTEF [the largest independent research organization in Scandanavia], interviewed Per Kristiansen, assistant director and head of the operations department at the Oslo VAV, at his Oslo office regarding the management of Oslo's water and wastewater system.