Environmental monitoring
Close monitoring of air and water quality ensures safety for Reykjavík residents.
Monitoring roles
Promoting strong environmental monitoring and public education in Reykjavík while enforcing laws and regulations.
Monitoring includes air quality measurements at several stations in the city, issuing warnings as needed. It also covers the city's water protection area, municipal sewer system, coastal water sampling, rivers and lakes, and property inspections. Regular reports on environmental quality and monitoring results are produced.
Main tasks
- Air quality is monitored at preschools, busy streets, and residential areas.
- Water quality is monitored in coastal waters, rivers, and lakes, along with wetland oversight, including Vatnsmýri.
- Supervision of construction and use of the water protection area.
- Official statements are issued on developments in the planning process or environmental impact assessment.
- Noise monitoring and measurement
- Supervision of the sewer system and pollution in soil and stormwater.
Air quality
Clean air is vital for good health and well-being. The health effects of polluted air are increasingly clear, with certain groups more vulnerable. These include children and people with asthma, lung, heart, or vascular diseases.
Water protection
Water protection aims to safeguard groundwater in the capital area's water protection zones, ensuring drinking water quality at the source always meets legal requirements.
Water quality monitoring
Main sources of pollution in rivers and lakes in Reykjavík include incorrect connections of sewer lines, insufficient septic tanks, poor manure lagoons and dungsteads, fertilizer distribution, agriculture, fish farming, and runoff/stormwater from impervious surfaces.
The main sources of coastal seawater pollution in Reykjavík are runoff/overflows from pumping stations, incorrect connections of wastewater pipes, natural origins - birds and animals, and the discharge of wastewater from ships and small boats.
Noise
Noise sources vary, and research shows good acoustics are important for health. Environmental noise includes traffic, air traffic, and construction noise.
Sewer system and pollution
Wastewater can cause pollution, but effective treatment can significantly reduce its negative impacts.
Reykjavík Public Health
- Borgartún 12, 105 Reykjavík
- Service Center 411 1111