According to Ålesund municipality, there are two troops with a total of 100 people who will take part in the exercise where they will train to pump water from Brusdalsvatnet to the waterworks. – We will practice the purely practical, but also how the interaction with us and with the municipality works. We want to be a good partner for the municipality and be able to work closely with them when a crisis arises, says Andreas Lied, who is head of LIA2 in Ålesund Civil Defence.
Test to maintain water supply
During the exercise, the Norwegian Civil Defense will test equipment and train crews in the use of pumps and important equipment, and there will be crews in emergency clothing and equipment at work in several places around Brusdalsvatnet when, among other things, they lay out two kilometers of four-inch hose.
– It is still only a fraction of what is needed if this were to be a complete solution, but we will get to test whether we can maintain the water supply in the event of a disaster. It is also good practice for our crew in moving water. It is something we do a lot both during forest fires and floods, he says.
Important cooperation
Emergency manager in Ålesund municipality, Vidar Tolås, says he is happy that the Civil Defense will now have an exercise related to water supply.
– The Norwegian Civil Defense is a very important partner for us when it comes to preparedness and crisis management, and of course, clean water for our citizens is absolutely essential, so that we get an exercise that concerns the water supply is something we must all greatly appreciate.
One of the things that will be monitored closely during the exercise is whether Brusdalsvatnet is affected by small amounts of sludge from pumping or small amounts of oil from pumps, aggregates or vehicles, he says.
Read also: Produces 347 liters of water per second from Brusdalsvatnet.
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