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Basement storage units flooded after construction error in Stockholm
🇸🇪 Sweden /Energy & Infrastructure

Basement storage units flooded after construction error in Stockholm

From Dagens Nyheter · () Swedish

Translated from Swedish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • A water main renovation in Stockholm led to a leak, flooding nearly 40 basement storage units.
  • Residents lost belongings including cars, clothes, and irreplaceable mementos, with water reaching 1.5 meters high.
  • Stockholm Vatten och Avfall is investigating the incident, attributing it to an undocumented modification of internal piping.

Nearly 40 basement storage units in Stockholm's Vasastan district were flooded after a leak occurred during a water main renovation by Stockholm Vatten och Avfall. The incident, which happened in early July, has left residents devastated by the loss of personal belongings, with water levels reaching up to 1.5 meters.

It is we who have been affected who will lose the most.

— Jenni SärlefalkA resident describing the impact of the basement flooding.

"It is we who have been affected who will lose the most," said resident Jenni Särlefalk, 68, describing the situation as a nightmare. Many residents lost not only material possessions like cars and clothing but also irreplaceable memories, including wedding dresses and photo albums. The water damage has forced residents to bring salvaged items into their apartments to attempt drying and cleaning.

Alexandra Fleetwood, press officer for Stockholm Vatten och Avfall, explained that the leak stemmed from a previously undocumented modification of the internal piping within the building. The main water pipe, nearly 100 years old, was incorrectly connected during the renovation. The leak went unnoticed for hours until a resident discovered it and raised the alarm.

The pipe has been in use for almost 100 years and at some point during that time the pipe inside the property was rebuilt without being registered in our systems.

— Alexandra FleetwoodPress officer for Stockholm Vatten och Avfall explaining the likely cause of the leak.

Elderly residents, like Sören Joelsson, 78, who was helping his son move items, described the basement as a "war zone." He and his wife spent hours salvaging what they could, including teddy bears and old books, though some items were beyond repair. Mette Prawitz, 91, a resident for 40 years, had to discard almost everything in her storage unit, including a cherished old leather bag that became moldy within a week.

It looked like a war zone when you came down there. Such amounts of water, it gets in everywhere.

— Sören JoelssonA visitor describing the scene after the basement flooding.

Stockholm Vatten och Avfall is investigating the cause of the flooding. Residents are grappling with the emotional and material loss, with many items holding significant sentimental value. The incident highlights the impact of infrastructure work and the vulnerability of stored personal belongings.

I had a very nice old leather bag, a really fancy one from the old days. And it was all moldy.

— Mette PrawitzA resident describing the condition of her belongings after the flood.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dagens Nyheter in Swedish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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