2005 - 2006 - Pinsent Masons Water Yearbook 2012

FINLAND PART 2: COUNTRY ANALYSIS
Finland
Management of water resources
The Finnish Ministry of the Environment is currently preparing long-term goals for the protection of
Finnish waters for the year 2005. These will be based on the Water Act (1961, revised in 1996), the
Act on Environmental Administration (1995), and the Act on Public Water and Sewage Plants (1977,
revised 1994). Annual withdrawals of ground and surface waters as a percentage of available water
were 2.3% in 1994. Domestic consumption of water was 257l per capita per day in 1995.
Water supplies
Domestic sewage treatment 1990 1999 2002
Tertiary treatment 76.0% 80.0% 81.0%
Secondary treatment 0.1% 0.0% 0.0%
Primary treatment 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
None 23.9% 20.0% 19.0%
Officially, 99% of urban and 90% of rural households have access to safe water provision and all
households have safe sewerage services. In 1983, there were 794 public water supply plants serving
3.79million people. Most industrial plants are served by their own water supplies. Effluent treatment
coverage was 93% in 1995, with 600 municipal and 150 industrial wastewater treatment plants in
2002, with an annual operating cost of €200 million. The quality of Finnish wastewater treatment is
regarded as being good. However, there is still need to improve biological and chemical treatment
with regards to phosphorus removal from effluents. Industry generated 900 million m ³ of wastewater,
of which 700 million m 3 were generated in the pulp and paper industry in 1994. 79% of the
wastewater of pulp and paper industries is subject secondary treatment, with 11% receiving tertiary
treatment and the remaining 12% being treated at primary level.
Financing water and sewerage services
The municipal wastewater and water supply investment costs are financed mainly by municipalities
themselves, and operation and maintenance costs including capital costs are mainly covered by the
users in compliance with the polluter pays principle. The current investment costs of public water and
sanitation services are about mk1.8 billion per year (US$340 million per annum). Finnish industry
spent mk336 million on water and wastewater projects in 1997, along with O&M costs of mk874
million.
Private sector contracts awarded (Please see the relevant company entry for details)
Location Contract Company
Haapavesi Wastewater treatment concession Kemwater
In 2002, Kemwater Services (51% Kemira OY and 49% YIT Environmental Services, owned by the
Helsinki municipality) gained a 12 year concession to operate the second largest wastewater
treatment plant in northern Finland. €2 million will be spent in upgrading the facility.
Private sector company operations (Please see the relevant company entry for details)
Company Parent company (country)
Population served
Water Sewerage Total
Kemwater Kemira (Finland) 0 60,000 60,000
Lathi City considered a cross-border asset leasing arrangement with the USA for its water and power
utilities in order to exploit tax advantages in 2004. This made little progress, principally as it was an
exercise in financial engineering. Further PSP in Finland is seen as a possibility over the next two
decades, but not as an end in itself.
Source:
Seppälä, O T (2004) PRINWASS Strategic Country Report: Finland D26, Prinwass, Oxford University, UK
89 Pinsent Masons Water Yearbook 2005 – 2006