Tap water undrinkable in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, after permafrost thaw releases heavy metals

■ Steady

Longyearbyen told not to drink tap water after heavy metal contamination

On Monday, residents of Longyearbyen in Svalbard, Norway, were told to stop drinking tap water because of heavy metal contamination that scientists link to thawing permafrost. The town draws its water from the Isdammen lake. Separately, on Saturday, researchers raised concerns that Antarctica's Thwaites glacier is melting faster than thought and that ice loss may be accelerating rapidly.

• Longyearbyen's tap water is not safe to drink, with scientists linking the heavy metals to permafrost thaw.
• The town's water comes from the Isdammen lake.
• Thwaites glacier, comparable in size to Senegal, has been losing ice for decades.
• Researchers now raise concerns of rapidly accelerating loss at Thwaites.