After several leaks and discoloured water in Björnlunda, Gnesta Municipality began flushing the pipe network on 14 September. Work is expected to take about a month. Ongoing tests say the water is safe for drinking and cooking unless advised otherwise, but brown water can stain laundry and leave deposits in appliances.
What happened?
The municipality mainly links recurring leaks to old pipes that have exceeded their technical life. As pipes become brittle, joints and seals can leak or the pipe itself can rupture. Brown colouring is usually attributed to naturally occurring iron and manganese or rust particles released from inside the network.
The short-term measure is flushing to increase water turnover and remove deposits. Work started on 14 September and is expected to continue for about a month. Flushing may improve conditions but does not replace long-term renewal of ageing pipes.
Location
Björnlunda, Gnesta, Södermanlands län
Impact and significance
The municipality says regular testing shows the water can be used normally. If that advice changes, new information will be issued immediately. With clear discoloration, residents are advised to run cold water until clear, postpone washing pale fabrics and clean tap strainers and shower heads if needed. Recurring or persistent problems should be reported.
Discoloured water can affect washing machines, dishwashers, water heaters, filters and sanitary porcelain. A finding that the water is safe to drink therefore does not mean the colour has no practical consequences.
Background
The municipality is responsible for the public network up to a property's connection point, usually near its boundary. The property owner is responsible for pipes on the property up to that point. The current Björnlunda leaks are in the public network, according to the municipality.
Long-term renewal is prioritised by condition, leak risk and consequences for public services, traffic and residents. The municipality is also working towards less corrosive water. It has no statistics showing Gnesta has more leaks than other municipalities.
Latest update
Operational disruptions are reported by text message to registered addresses and on the municipality's current-disruption page. People whose mobile number is not automatically linked to an address can register for texts or email. Leaks are reported to the service centre by day and to the published emergency number in evenings or at weekends.
Sources
Related analysis
Reviewed: 2026-09-15. Independent editorial content. WUA Sverige is not affiliated with any political party.