Every third litre of treated drinking water in Norway leaks out before it ever reaches a tap. In a summer with watering restrictions and high water consumption, the maintenance backlog in the water distribution network becomes more than a technical issue. It becomes a matter of preparedness.
When the sun is blazing, lawns are turning yellow and municipalities ask people to leave the garden hose alone, we are reminded of just how important water really is.
In Bluegreen’s home municipality of Bamble, a ban on garden watering was introduced on 26 June 2026 due to extremely high water consumption. The measure was introduced to ensure sufficient water preparedness. And Bamble is far from alone.
At the same time, large amounts of fully treated drinking water disappear from the distribution network before they ever reach residents.
According to Statistics Norway, around 30 percent of drinking water is lost through the distribution network before it reaches consumers. The renewal rate for municipal water pipelines was 0.6 percent for the period 2022–2024. In practice, this means we are replacing far too little, far too slowly.
The Office of the Auditor General of Norway has previously pointed to the same issue. The national target is an annual renewal rate of 2 percent for municipal water pipelines up to 2035, but actual renewal has remained well below this level. At the same time, the target of reducing leakage rates to below 25 percent by 2020 was not reached.
This is not just a budget issue. It is about capacity, preparedness, water quality and trust.
Norway has built an enormous water and wastewater network. The total water and wastewater pipeline network alone is estimated at around 280,000 kilometres — equivalent to seven times around the Earth.
Much of this lies underground, out of sight in everyday life. But when pipelines age, leaks increase and summer consumption peaks, the consequences become visible.
For municipalities and pipeline owners, this means difficult priorities. Projects must be planned, financed, engineered and built — while residents expect clean water from the tap every single day.
And the need is only growing.Investment needs in the hundreds of billions
Norsk Vann estimates that Norway’s municipal water and wastewater sector is facing investments of between NOK 411 and 535 billion in the period 2025–2045. Of this, NOK 229 billion is linked to pipeline renewal.
When values of this scale are going into the ground, the solutions need to last. Thinking only in terms of the lowest short-term price is not enough. Material choices, execution, documentation, welding procedures, prefabrication and quality at every stage determine how robust the solutions will actually be.
Read more: Bluegreen soon to complete water pipeline for MOVAR
Statistics Norway shows that PVC still makes up the largest share of Norway’s municipal water pipeline network, at around 35 percent. PE accounts for 31 percent, iron for 27 percent, and a small share of 3 percent still consists of asbestos cement pipes.
This says something about the breadth of the infrastructure municipalities are responsible for — and how important the right expertise is when old networks are renewed and new solutions are built.
Water is not just water. It is food safety, fire safety, health, business, industry, preparedness and everyday life. When water is no longer available, everyone notices.
That is why this summer’s watering bans should also remind us of something bigger: we cannot simply ask people to use less water above ground while accepting that large amounts are leaking away below ground.
Norway needs a major push to renew its water pipelines. Not through quick fixes, but through solid solutions built for long service life.
Read more: Water and wastewater infrastructure for Bamble Municipality
Bluegreen has solid experience with plastic-based solutions for water, wastewater and demanding infrastructure projects. We deliver PE pipes, prefabricated parts, special solutions and complete structures from our own workshop — with skilled professionals who understand plastics, documentation and practical execution.
We work closely with municipalities, pipeline owners, contractors and consultants who need capacity, quality and solutions that can handle Norwegian conditions. Whether the project involves water chambers, pipeline systems, prefabrication or tailor-made solutions in thermoplastics, the goal is the same: robust facilities, good progress and work that stands the test of time.
Because when we dig up, renew and build for the future, we need to do it properly.
Do you have a water and wastewater project that requires solid plastics expertise, strong execution and a partner who gets things done? Get in touch. We build solutions for the water Norway depends on — even during dry summers.
