Little government control over water networks
Society (TT)
The government has too little control over municipal water and sewage networks, according to an audit by the Swedish National Audit Office.
In 2023, the government stated that there is a need for the state to monitor municipalities' work on the maintenance and renewal of water networks. However, the government has not given any authority this responsibility, and only a few of the country's county administrative boards carry out planned supervision.
“Clean water and effective wastewater management are a prerequisite for human health and a number of different societal functions. The government's work in this area needs to be improved,” says Auditor General Christina Gellerbrant Hagberg in a press release.
The National Audit Office urges the government to assign an appropriate authority to guide and monitor the work of the municipalities, and to ensure that the county administrative boards check that the municipalities comply with the Water Services Act.