AVS. Arkitektúr verktækni skipulag - 01.03.1994, Side 74

ENGLISH SUMMARY
This issue of Arkitektúr, verktækni og
skipulag (Architecture, Technology and
Planning) focusses on water, Iceland’s
abundant unpolluted resource, which has
great potential as an export commodity.
PAGE 10: WATER RESOURCES; WHAT
ARE THEY WORTH
Geologist Frey steinn Sigurðsson discusses
Iceland’s water resources and assesses the
potential of water exports. Iceland has
abundant resources of unpolluted ground
water. Precipitation is heavy and the coun-
try sparsely populated, while porous rock
provides natural filtration. Iceland’s water
resources are easily accessible, so that
water from the tap in Reykjavík costs no
more than about $0.30 per cubic meter.
The water is extremely pure with practi-
cally no mineral content. This makes it
excellent for mixing or carbonation, al-
though it does not have the outstanding
natural taste of mineral waters. Theoreti-
cally speaking, water exports could yield
enormous revenues to Iceland. Whether
Iceland’s water is to be economically ex-
ploited or not, it is important that this
invaluable resource be protected from pol-
lution in the future.
PAGE 14: THE REYKJAVÍK MUNICI-
PAL WATER COMPANY.
Guðmundur Thoroddsen and Þorvaldur
St. Jónsson of the Reykjavík Municipal
Water Company write about the compa-
ny’s past, present and future. The history
of the Water Company dates back to 1908,
when Reykjavík’s first water main was
laid from Gvendarbrunnar springs into the
town. Until that time, the town’s water
supply consisted only of wells in various
districts. Over the following decade, the
water system was gradually extended and
improved, but no long term policy was
pursued. When water shortages arose,
action was taken to improve the supply. In
the 1960‘s, the Water Company’s priority
was to maintain a constant and reliable
water supply, and to protect the city’s
water sources from pollution. Today, these
targets have been achieved, and the Water
Company now looks ahead, employing
computer technology to monitor water
quality and threats of pollution. In the
coming years, the city of Reykjavík may
be expected to merge with neighbouring
communities, and this will make new de-
mands upon the Water Company. Privati-
zation policy which is being pursued in
Iceland may in due time lead to the priva-
tization of the water utility.
PAGE 18: GARDEN AND WATER
Landscape architect, iórólfur Jónsson
writes about garden ponds and fountains,
which are a rarity in Iceland. He recom-
mends materials for lining ponds and sug-
gests the use of wild Icelandic water plants.
PAGE 22: EXPORTS OF ICELANDIC
WATER
Davíð Scheving Thorsteinsson write about
the potential of Icelandic water as a high
quality, high priced export commodity.
PAGE25: THE DRAINS OF REYKJAVÍK
Sigurður I Skarphéðinsson of the Reykjavík
Roads Department writes about the city’s
drainage and sewer system. Until the
beginning of this century, open drains ran
through the streets of Reykjavfk, and in
1902 the first closed drain was laid. These
sewers led straight out into the sea, and by
1970 there was growing concern about
coastal pollution. Work is now in progress
on the installation of a new system. Waste
will pass through filtration plants before
being pumped a distance of 2-4 kilometres
out to sea, ending at a depth of 20-30
metres.
PAGE 33: IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
DRAINAGE SYSTEM
Sigurbjörg Sæmundsdóttirof the Ministry
for the Environment writes about improve-
ments in drainage systems, in view of
European environmental standards. Ice-
land is subject to European standards since
the European Economic Area came into
force, and Iceland is also party to a number
of intemational treaties regarding mari-
time pollution. Hitherto, the marine envi-
ronment around Iceland has been classi-
fied as a less sensiti ve area, so that a single
stage process of filtration is regarded as
adequate. In due course, however, it may
prove necessary to introduce further stages
of filtration and purification.
PAGE 36: REGULATIONS ON PRE-
VENTION OF POLLUTION. PURIFICA-
TION OF SEWAGE
Dr. Gunnar Steinn Jónsson of the Health
and Safety Authority discusses the appli-
cation of European standards regarding
purification of waste in Iceland. Research
must be carried out in order to assess the
possible effects of discharging organic
waste which has only been passed through
a single stage filtration process into the
sea. The same applies to heavy metals.
The amount of heavy metals found in
sewage in Iceland is compared with other
Nordic cities in a table on page 37.These
heavy metals seem to occur in small quan-
tities and not to constitute a threat.
PAGE 40: ARCHITECTURE AND
SCULPTURE
Art historian Halldóra Arnar writes about
the different ways in which space is used
in architecture and in sculpture. She sug-
gests that the two should be closer to-
gether, that architecture could be more
sculptural and more imaginative.