Visby Faces Over 40 Days of Water Crisis as Parasite Contamination Persists

The community of Visby in Gotland has been grappling with a severe water contamination crisis for over 40 days, forcing residents to boil tap water or fetch it from communal tanks due to parasites including Cryptosporidium and Giardia. The contamination, first detected on December 3, 2025, affects approximately 11,500 households and has significantly disrupted daily life.

Families like the Falkheds have had to adapt extensively, with Lovisa Edenberg Falkhed explaining how they have boiled water constantly, even damaging their cooking pot in the process. The family has developed routines such as storing boiled water in 20-liter containers and resorted to transporting additional water from Stockholm to meet the needs of their household and aquarium. These difficulties have highlighted Gotland’s vulnerability and its heavy dependence on external resources, especially given the challenges posed by ferry interruptions.

Residents like 79-year-old Bengt Jerkland have voiced frustration, particularly over accessibility issues for the elderly and those without transportation. The Gutavallen tank has become a critical resource for the community, but the crisis underscores the limitations of Gotland’s outdated water infrastructure and the absence of adequate laboratory equipment to quickly detect and manage such contamination.

Patrik Johansson, the county’s water chief, has acknowledged ongoing maintenance efforts but indicated no new water sources are available, projecting no clear improvement before the end of January 2026 due to the specialized testing required. The crisis has not only imposed daily challenges but also increased costs for households and businesses.

As the residents continue to cope, the visible residue forming on boiled water and the difficulty in ensuring pets consume safe water are additional concerns raised by the Falkheds. Both Lovisa and Mikael Falkhed express a longing for the simple act of turning on the tap and receiving clean water, emphasizing the broader implications of community preparedness and the fragility of essential services on the island.

With the water situation ongoing, Visby’s residents remain resilient but unsettled as they await a resolution to this significant public health challenge.