Novus report: 9 out of 10 municipalities need maintenance and investments in water services

In a survey, 88 percent say they have a very or fairly high need for maintenance and investments and 83 percent say that maintenance and investments in water services are fairly or very high priority. At the same time, 45 percent say they lack or do not know if there is a budget that covers the need for these investments, according to the report “Temperaturen på Vatten-Sverige” (The Temperature of Water in Sweden) that Novus conducted on behalf of Mötesplats Vatten2023.

– The results confirm what the industry has said and Svenskt Vatten's investment report shows. Climate change with increased torrential rains and droughts is increasing the pressure on an already challenged and neglected industry, where the lack of skills has become an Achilles heel, says the chairman of the Swedish Water Industry Anette Seger.

Differences in budget between urban and rural areas

Among the municipalities that do not consider themselves to have a sufficient budget, there are mainly municipalities with a lower degree of urbanization, i.e. those municipalities that have a higher proportion of rural areas (45%) compared to cities (29%).

When it comes to increased costs, four out of ten municipalities state that they do not have room in their budget to also handle the measures needed for water services to function in the event of increased load, for example due to torrential rain. Here too, there are differences across the country; of the municipalities that respond that there is no budget for increased costs, 55 and 48 percent are found in northern or western Sweden, respectively. 24 percent of the municipalities respond that they do not know if any such budget exists.

Lowest priority in northern Sweden

Of the 83 percent who consider maintenance and investment in water services to be a fairly or very high priority, there are also some demographic differences. The highest priority is in the South (93%), Central (86%) and West (78%) regions and particularly high in municipalities with 20,000 - 40,000 inhabitants (90 percent). The issue is given the lowest priority in the North (64 percent).

When asked about resources, three out of four municipalities (75%) answer that they have sufficient expertise and resources to assess and prioritize the investment need for water services, but it is somewhat worse when it comes to implementing the required measures. There, almost four out of ten answer that they do not have sufficient expertise and resources for this.

6 out of 10 municipalities lack a plan for water supply in the event of torrential rain

By January 1, 2024, all municipalities in Sweden must have established a water service plan to secure a long-term water supply and be better prepared in the event of heavy rain. With just over two months left, 59 percent of municipalities will be without a plan by the end of the year.

About the report “The temperature of Water-Sweden”

In the report presented today at Mötesplats Vatten2023, municipal and department heads in 237 of the country's municipalities were asked about how prioritized the water issue is in the municipality, what maintenance needs there are and what resources are required to implement any investments in the water infrastructure. The report also examined how far Sweden's municipalities have come with their water service plan, which is to be established by 1 January 2024.

You can access that report here.: Report Temperature of Water-Sweden

Excerpt from the survey

Prioritization

83 percent of municipalities give high priority to maintenance and investments
It is given the highest priority in the South (93%), Central (86%) and West (78%) regions and is particularly high in municipalities with 20 – 40,000 inhabitants (90 percent). The issue is given the lowest priority in the North Region with 64 percent.
Distribution, proportion of residents where the issue is a very or fairly high priority: 20,000 – 40,000 residents (90%), 10,000 – 20,000 (86%), > 40,000 (85%), < 10,000 (71%).

Needs

49 and 39 percent respectively (a total of 88%) believe that there is a fairly large or very large need for maintenance and investments. Among those surveyed, more department heads (44%) than municipal heads (30%) respond that the need for maintenance and investments is very large.

Budget

55 percent of municipalities state that there is a budget that covers the need for maintenance and investments in water infrastructure, water systems and water supply.
37 and 8 percent respectively respond that they do not have or do not know if there is a budget.
Among the municipalities that do not consider themselves to have a sufficient budget, there are mainly municipalities with a lower degree of urbanization, i.e. those municipalities that have a higher proportion of rural areas (45%) compared to cities (29%).

Resources and Competence

3 out of 4 municipalities believe that they have sufficient resources to evaluate and prioritize the investment need for water services.
Nearly 4 out of 10 (38%) respond that they do not have enough expertise and resources for this.

Water service plan

58 percent of municipal managers and 26 percent of department heads respond that they have started the work and will be finished by January 1.
Regional distribution, proportion that is or will be ready with a water service plan by January 1, 2024:
South: 54%, North: 45%, Central: 39%, West: 26%
Municipal managers have greater confidence than department heads that they will be ready with their water service plan by January 1.
Four out of ten municipalities respond that they do not have room in their budget to also handle the measures needed for water services to function in the event of increased load, for example due to torrential rain.
Regional distribution, proportion that does not have a budget to handle measures in the event of increased load: North: 55%, West: 48%, Central: 39%, South: 28%.

Implementation:

Number of interviews conducted: 237
Field period: September 13 – October 3, 2023
Target group: Municipal and department heads in Swedish municipalities.

The survey in Sweden was conducted via telephone and web interviews, where all municipalities in Sweden were contacted. The figures have in some cases been adjusted for rounding effects.

Water industry