| Summary: | Good quality of drinking water is the foundation of a functioning society. Many Swedish municipals investigates ways to protect water supplies in convention areas. The purpose of this study was to investigate the risks of microbiological contamination of drinking water by private sewers and geothermal heat pumps. The purpose was also to investigate the risks of contamination associated with safety distances from energy wells and private sewers. Water samples were taken from private groundwater wells in the convention area of Hertsölandet in Luleå municipal, to test for microbiological contamination. To investigate safety distances, maps were made to locate private sewers, private groundwater wells and energy wells in the area. The result indicated that the groundwater wells was not contaminated by wastewater but that individual weaknesses in the groundwater wells contributed to microorganisms in the drinking water. However, too few samples were taken to provide a reliable result. The samples were taken at spring time and it should possibly had been more representative to take the samples after the summer season, when the use of water and production of wastewater has increased. Contaminations associated with safety distances to geothermal heat pumps and other groundwater wells could not be detected. The results shown that several groundwater wells were located too close to sewers according to safety distance. It is possible that the risks will increase as more people moves permanently to this area.
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