Water shortage and drought
A municipality may issue an outdoor water-use restriction
If groundwater levels are low and there is a risk of water shortage, a municipality may issue an outdoor water-use restriction. This may mean that you are not allowed to fill swimming pools or use hosepipes, sprinklers, and high-pressure washers. It is always best to consult your municipality for up-to-date information about current restrictions.
It is common for municipalities to encourage inhabitants to conserve water during summer, even when there are no outdoor water-use restrictions in place.
Here are some tips on how to conserve water:
- Use low-flow faucets and toilets
- Use rain barrels for watering
- Take showers instead of baths
- Do not leave the water running while applying soap or brushing your teeth
- Fill a pitcher of water and put it in the fridge. You can collect water when flushing the pipes and use it to water plants
- Don’t wash dishes under running water
- Only wash your car at a carwash where dirty water is collected, purified and recycled
Pay attention to water quality
You should not drink water that is noticeably colored or that smells and tastes bad. If municipal water for some reason is not safe to drink, or when there are water supply disruptions, the municipality may provide water tanks from which the public can collect drinking water. Use clean containers made to store drinking water. You can also store drinking water in PET bottles in the freezer.
Source: Geological Survey of Sweden ("Sveriges geologiska undersökning, SGU"), National Food Agency ("Livsmedelsverket")