40,000 Gotlanders are forced to boil their water – for three weeks

On Gotland, a bacteria in the drinking water has caused it for 40,000 inhabitants.
For three weeks they have been forced to boil the drinking water – and now the region is forced to flush the entire water supply network.
– It will take a while to clean, says Gotland resident Simon Frid Thomsson in Efter fem.

On the ninth of November, 40,000 Gotlanders received an alarm that the drinking water was contaminated with the bacterium clostridium perfringens. It can cause diarrhoea, nausea and, in the worst case, also vomiting and fever.

Three weeks later, the residents of Visby and the surrounding area are still forced to boil the water, to avoid the risk of getting sick. At the moment, it is not known whether anyone on Gotland has been affected by the bacteria.

– Region Gotland has stated that there is no one with the symptoms that you get from the bacteria who has suffered from any serious case of illness, says Simon Frid Thomsson from Gotland in Efter fem.

He lives in Visby and does not think that he is personally affected that much by that problem. Simon and his wife boil four liters of water once a day, which he doesn’t see as a big concern.

– We have war in our world. Boiling water is the small thing, but socially critical operations and the hospitality industry have to pull a heavy load.

Drastic decision

Region Gotland has taken several measures to help Gotland’s socially critical operations. An emergency water tank ensures that, among other things, the Visby infirmary has drinking water.

But in addition to private individuals, home services and restaurants are also forced to boil the water for all their customers.

– The staff there do a great job and the hospitality industry, which takes care of a lot of people, has made good efforts where, among other things, they give water to people checking into hotels and buy ice from wholesalers.

Region Gotland must now flush the entire water supply network to remove the bacteria, which has never been done before.

– It will take a while to clean it, so we have to boil water for a couple more weeks, says Simon Frid Thomsson.