KEFLAVÍK, IS – Thousands of residents in southwest Iceland found themselves without hot water supply due to an unexpected culprit: lava. A recent volcanic eruption, the third in the region since December, resulted in lava flows damaging the pipes responsible for supplying hot water to the area.
Local resident, Bryndis Thorsteinsdottir, expressed the difficulties faced by the community, with tens of thousands of people affected. She explained that the lava field had covered the pipes, leaving residents uncertain about the situation and their immediate future.
The latest eruption occurred early Thursday morning, northeast of Mount Sýlingarfell, spewing lava fountains as high as 260 feet into the air. This resulted in a nearly 2-mile high volcanic plume. The Icelandic Met Office reported that the lava had flowed just under 3 miles from the eruption site, with the erupting fissure estimated to be of similar length. However, the office also noted that the eruption’s intensity seemed to be decreasing.
Despite the decreasing activity, the eruption’s impact on the local community remains significant. A state of emergency was declared on Thursday as the lava damaged the main hot water pipe from Svartsengi to Fitja. This disruption affected parts of Keflavík, Sandgerði, and Garður, leading officials to urge residents and businesses to conserve electricity and hot water.
The Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management explained that transfer tanks in the area store hot water and are now the only source of water left in the region. They estimated that the tanks would last between 6 to 12 hours under conservation measures, and between 3 to 6 hours under normal daily use.
The situation was further complicated by a severe frost expected overnight. This led to a rush for heating sources as temperatures in the city dropped to 17F. Local resident Jon Jonasson compared the situation to a Black Friday sale on electric heaters, as everyone scrambled to keep their homes warm.
By Friday, contractors had worked through the night to provide a hot water bypass pipe for residents. However, officials warned that it would take a few days for the full supply to return, urging people to use their supplies sparingly.
The Reykjanes peninsula, where the eruptions occurred, is a popular tourist spot, home to the Keflavík International Airport and the famous Blue Lagoon geothermal spa. Both locations were affected by the most recent eruption, with the spa forced to close and the airport losing its hot water supply.