Human waste and chemical run-off has been an ongoing problem around the community of Grafarvogur, possibly for the past few years.
RÚV reports that a creek flowing through the community has caught the attention of passers-by, most notably for being unmistakably foamy from soap bubbles. A distinct smell of soap is also reported to be emanating from the water.
The source of the soap is not entirely clear, though. The creek itself is comprised of surface water run-off from the neighbourhood. There are a few businesses in the area which will use soap and water to wash their lots. One unidentified employee of one of these businesses has reported that soap has been frothing in the nearby creek for years now.
Health authorities have been alerted of the pollution. It is not, however, the only case of pollution Grafarvogur is dealing with: as reported last August, poorly connected plumbing in an apartment building in the Bryggjuhverfi of Grafarvogur has led to considerable water damage. Raw sewage from the building was not connected to proper sewer pipes, but rather to a pipe which carries rain water directly to the fjord. As a result, the apartment building’s entire waste was being continuously dumped in the fjord for about ten years.
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