Norway

Norway is a Nordic country that occupies the western half of the Scandinavian peninsula. It shares a long eastern territorial border with Sweden and shorter ones with Finland and Russia. Skagerrak strait separates the country from Denmark and the North Sea from the United Kingdom. Almost half of the population lives in the far south of the country, in the region of the capital city Oslo.

The country has a two tier-system of local government: counties and municipalities. There are 19 counties (fylker) and 428 municipalities (kommuner), run by directly elected municipal councils. The capital city Oslo is considered both a county and a municipality. The municipalities and the county authorities have the same administrative status, while the central government has the overriding authority and supervision of municipal and county administration.

Water and Wastewater Sector Structure

Water and wastewater services in Norway are the responsibilities of municipalities. The sector is therefore decentralized and characterized by a large number of waterworks scattered across the country. Approximately 1,950 waterworks provide drinking water to 90% of the population while the rest have their own wells or are being serviced by cooperative waterworks. When it comes to sewage, approximately 2,700 municipal-owned wastewater treatment plants serve 86% of the population. The remaining population has its own wastewater treatment plants or smaller individual solutions. Generally, the population in Norway enjoys universal access to treated drinking water and sewerage services.

Water and wastewater tariffs are set by municipalities, guided by the full cost-recovery principle. They are based on estimates of operating, maintenance, and capital costs of water and wastewater services. With those collected tariffs and taxes, local authorities are responsible for funding any potential investments.