The source of life Icelanders enjoy the luxury of drinking pure, crystal clear tap water A few years ago, a laboratory in New York resolved to test the purity of the Icelandic water. When the sample was analysed, no impurities were detected. The scientists were reduced to testing their own equipment to check for any malfunction. This story is now firmly part of Icelandic folklore, whether true or not. There is no doubt, however, that Icelandic drinking water is among the purest in the world. And it doesn�t have to come in fancy bottles with designer labels. In Iceland, you drink it straight from the tap. Water Works established On June 16, 1909, water started to run through a pipeline that extended from the Ellida�r rivers to the capital and the date marks the inauguration of Reykjav�k Water Works. Later that year, the pipeline was continued to Gvendarbrunnar in Heidm�rk, a national park in the east of Reykjav�k, where the wells are located. Gvendarbrunnar takes its name from Gudmundur Arason, a bishop who died in 1273. According to legend, the spring water which �Gvendur� blessed was believed to be exceptionally healthy. His water was even said to put out fires faster, as well as having other supernatural characteristics. Experimental drilling took place in the 1970s and production from underground wells began in 1976. There are now twenty wells in operation in four separate areas in Heidm�rk with a capacity of 1,400 litres per second. Just 200 metres higher than the original Gvendarbrunnar spring there is an extraordinary building, the showpiece of the company. This underground bunker looks more like a film set from the lair of a James Bond villain but it is in fact the final collection point for the water from the field before it goes to Reykjav�k. The area is surrounded by a high fence and is regarded as a security zone to prevent any pollution of the fields. However, group tours of Gvendarbrunnar house can be arranged and its museum features photographs and equipment illustrating the company�s 89-year history. It is possible to view the water as it leaves the wells. Two main pipelines extend from the Heidm�rk area to nine pumping stations distributed throughout the urban area. The total length of main pipelines and house-connecting lines is currently about 500 kilometres but it is constantly expanding as new housing developments are planned. Constantly improving By adopting the latest technology, Reykjav�k Water Works continues to reduce its operating costs. Old pipes are being renewed by trenchless digging - where tunnels are made or the old pipes are pulled out or split horizontally and replaced - thus leaving private and public gardens and streets largely intact. It is also to the company�s credit that in spite of the considerable increase in the population of Reykjav�k. The actual amount of water pumped to the city has been reduced by one third during the last ten years, while the population has increased more than 10 percent. This reduction has been the result of computerised techniques in finding leaks and a conservation programme directed at consumers and industry. The company also provides water for approximately 1,200 fire hydrants which are densely distributed throughout the urban area. The city�s fire department responds to about 850 calls on average each year which is far less, relative to population, than in urban areas in neighbouring countries. On average, each person is reckoned to use about 150 litres of cold water per day. Water in Iceland ranks among the most inexpensive in the industrialised world. Visitors to Iceland are generally amazed to discover that the water here is of such high quality that it is pumped untreated and unsterilised directly to houses. Reykjav�k Water Works has an internal quality control system, which fulfils the requirements for a food production company, and aims to be one of the first water companies in the world with an audited ISO 9001 quality system. Reykjav�k Water Works partly owns Thorspring, a company producing bottled spring water which is exported around the world, particularly to the US and Europe. Undoubtedly, Reykjav�k Water Works will continue to be at the forefront of the water industry throughout the next millennium. The company even originated a phrase now firmly established in the Icelandic language - ��etta kemur allt med kalda vatninu� - exclaimed by Reykjav�k citizens when the company was in its planning stages. Loosely translated as �It�ll be all right when the cold water comes,� Icelanders still use the phrase to mean �Everything will be all right in the end�. To celebrate its 90th anniversary this year, Reykjav�k Water Works held a competition to design a new drinking fountain. Four winning designs emerged and the first, Aqua Aqua, will be set up this year in Reykjav�k. Another, Vatnsstr�kur, will be put up next year in the capital, coinciding with Reykjav�k, European City of Culture in the Year 2000.