Aalborg Municipality will be the first in Denmark to purify drinking water to remove the harmful substance nitrate. The project is estimated to cost 645 million kroner, which will be passed on to consumers.

Consumers can expect an additional annual expense of approximately 1,000 kroner for the next ten years.

High levels of nitrate in drinking water can be carcinogenic, posing a significant health risk.

The nitrate contamination originates from fertilizers used in agriculture. Aalborg Municipality is particularly vulnerable due to its unique soil conditions, characterized by high lime content, which facilitates nitrate penetration into the groundwater.

Anna Aaen, Councilor for Climate and Environment in Aalborg Municipality, expressed regret that the costs must be borne by consumers.

She advocates for a state-level framework to alleviate the financial burden on municipalities, agriculture, and consumers.

Brian Jacobsen, a lecturer at the Department of Food and Resource Economics at the University of Copenhagen, who has researched the harmful effects of nitrate, considers the investment in nitrate purification to be “well spent”, emphasizing the “clear benefit for health”.