ICEWATER project presented at annual meeting

Among these is ICEWATER, the largest project in Iceland ever to receive a European Union grant. The project is designed to build knowledge and improve water management monitoring in Iceland, with 22 domestic parties — municipalities and institutions — participating. Reykjavík City is contributing by improving water quality in Vatnsmýri and Tjörnin and implementing blue-green solutions. 

Vatnsmýri has changed significantly

At the annual meeting, Þórólfur Jónsson, head of division at Reykjavík City, provided an update on projects related to Tjörnin and Vatnsmýri. The presentation reviewed how Vatnsmýri has changed over recent decades and the ongoing work toward reclamation of wetland and ecosystem recovery in the area. 

Presenters noted that Tjörnin has been classified as being in poor chemical condition, and that under the Water Management Plan 2022-2027, Reykjavík City is required to strengthen monitoring and mitigation efforts. Earlier this summer, crews collected water samples to identify pollution sources and determine which actions would be most effective. 

Jón Pétur Wilke Gunnarsson, project manager at Veitur Utilities, discussed the utility's involvement in the project and its emphasis on blue-green solutions in Vatnsmýri and around Tjörnin. This work includes nature-based solutions to filter rainwater before it reaches Tjörnin, reduce pollution loads, and improve stormwater

management in urban areas. 

More about the ICEWATER project