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ALFA LAVAL CO-OPERATION IN SWEDEN ARE WE GOING TO FACE A WATER SHORTAGE? PROJECT INTELLIGENT WATER

AQUAMATRIX – NEW POSSIBILITIES FOR WATER TREATMENT

PRIVATIZATION ASSISTANCE OF WATER FACILITIES IN VIETNAM

ECONET GROUP CUSTOMER MAGAZINE2 | 2018

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IN THIS ISSUE:

3 Editorial: Avoid mold problems

4 Afloat: Clean Water Ambassador, Quiz, Solutions to water problems, International organizations, Rescue of the Baltic Sea, Mackerel, References

8 Aquamatrix – new possibilities for water treatment

12 Resource efficiency with the Smart Water project

13 Alfa Laval sludge co-operation in Sweden

14 Privatization assistance of water facilities in Vietnam

15 Are we going to face a water shortage?

16 Waterworks on a good cause in Hämeenlinna and Turku

18 Bubbles: Tatja Hussa, Source network service, Hazardous substances in urban runoff, Ecoset

19 Campaign Clean Tap water

2 | 2018

Aquamatrix aims at the world market

Finland-Vietnamprivatization co-operation projects

Alfa LavalMore effective sludge handling

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Plas

tics in our seas7Quiz

ECONET GROUP’S CUSTOMER MAGAZINE AQ

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19Tap Water Opera

for clean water

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DRIP... drip... drip... a little leaking water pipe is initially invis-ible and silent. It may, however, be the beginning of moisture damage, which over time develops into a bad mold problem. According to the World Health Organization’s studies, there is sufficient evidence that building moisture and mold dam-ages are related, for example, to the development of asthma. Asthma can be a life-long illness, whose treatment costs per patient about 750 euros a year.

What if you had received a text message about a leaking pipe immediately?

GENERALLY, moisture and mold damage is not noticed until they begin to appear on the wall of a home or as water leak-ing on a floor. Insurance companies compensate for water damages caused by defective washing machines annually by over EUR 100 million. The costs of a network leak are tens of millions of euros a year. With all the methods of calcula-tion, these amount to the most significant revenue losses for waterworks worldwide.

TAKE an example of ancient nature of water management. A middle-income couple in their thirties has just welcomed home their first baby. The family still lives in an apartment building, but the goal is to build a detached house. Parents want to make sure that there is enough room for maybe even a growing family.

A private plot is bought from the city where the house is planned to be built. The young couple wants to use their

money primarily for building the house and for the new member of the family so that they cannot afford to affect the site of the plot. The coincidence, therefore, determines where they get the plot and in what condition the local pipeline happens to be.

The family cannot even influence the fact which kind of water meter will be in the new home as the water meter is the property of the city. The ordinary water meter does not report water leakage; the leak can only be seen when it has already occurred.

IN ECONET, we want to promote locating water leakage for our part, so we developed Aquamatrix.Aquamatrix is an intelligent remote-readable water meter that comes with a computing system. The computing system detects a small leak in the pipeline and immediately sends a text message about it. This will allow you to repair the leak before it can cause damage.

HOW much would you be willing to pay for the fact that you, your children or your grandchildren do not get sick due to moisture damage in your home?

Matti LeppäniemiManaging Director Econet Group

Avoid mold problems with a water meter

Econet’s Customer Magazine AQIssue 2 August 2018

PublisherEconet Oy, Malminkaari 5FIN-00700 Helsinki, FinlandPhone no +358 9 836 6250www.econetgroup.fi

Editor-in-chiefMatti Leppäniemi

ProducerMagnolia TuotantoEija Öhrnberg

Editing and layoutMagnolia Tuotanto

Graphic design RINSSI GRAFdesign

Cover photoRINSSI GRAFdesign

Back cover photoiStockPhoto

PrintingSP-Paino Oy, Nurmijärvi

PaperCover G-print 250 gr Pages G-print 90 gr

Print runFinnish version 5 000 copiesEnglish version 2 000 copies

TranslationsEnglish version ABC Oy

ISSN 1799-7763

Editorial

Water for Life

Econet Group is a provider of water and environmental technology services. The Group consists of subsidiary companies Econet Ltd., Dewaco Ltd., Oy Slamex Ab and Aquamatrix Ltd. Econet’s mission is to design and offer solutions for clean water and environment on global scale. Dewaco, located in Laitila, is specialized in sludge thickening, dewatering and sludge removal. Slamex, located in Lahti, designs and manufactures equipment for treatment of water and wastewater. Aquamatrix offers new technology for the automatization of water metering and the digitalization of water data. The revenue of the group is approximately EUR 18 million.

Potentially the biggest threat to the sea and the fish stocks are the antibiotics and other medicinal substances.

3

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Did you know...over 1,000 Dewa belt filter presses and Dewa sludge dewaterers have been delivered around the world?

A race swimmer Essi Lillman, who was thriving on clean water, would pull on fins as an experiment, and right away the became representative of Finland at the Finswimming World Championships in Serbia. During a summer vacation, the race swimmer does not think of fins or training programs of her sport, but relaxes in the cottage, for example by paddle surfing.

TEXT AND PHOTO Riikka Mäkinen

With fins to The World Championship

ECONET’S Clean Water Ambassador Essi Lill-man spends her well earned summer vacation at a cottage in Hirvensalmi. Behind her is the adult camp of Finnish Swimming Association, Finnish Championships in Jyväskylä in June and the Finswimming World Champion-ships in Belgrade in July. The camp and the finwimming went extremely well, whereas the long-distance Finnish Championships were a disappointment for Essi.

– The race was right after midsummer night and I had just been sick. I do not know how much it affected the performance, but I somehow just did not seem to get it going. That was why it was a particularly nice surprise that the finswimming went so well, Essi says.

Essi’s swimming coach Ari Palve had once an international career in finswimming, which is where Essi also got the idea of experimenting with fins. The experiment was worth it, as after a few test races, Essi’s swimming times were enough to qualify for the Finnish three-person race team. Essi participated in adult World Championships in 50, 100, 200 and 400 meters surface long-distance races using long stereo

fins for both feet. – It’s like freestyle with fins and snorkel,

Essi clarifies. The competition went well, espe-cially considering that it was the first time for me to swim longer distances there. At 400 me-ters, I was seventh with the new Finnish record, though even then speed division problems left me a bit upset. There was definitely a kind of feeling that I could try again and occasionally participate also in finswimming competitions in addition to my own sports.

Tap water is a specialty for racing partnersEssi enjoys her four-week summer break to its fullest. There is only a two-week practice free period, after that the independent training starts going before the actual season begins. For her independent training, Essi is planning to jog, ride a bicycle, play badminton, and seek a sense of swimming in the Lahti outdoor swimming pool. The main thing that is, she gets to work outdoors.

– During the first two weeks I’m not going to do anything. Or maybe I will do some swim-

ming in the lake as the water is so warm, Essi laughs.

While by the lake, the high school graduate has been pondering also her honorary role as Econet’s Clean Water Ambassador. As a Finn, it is so easy take clean water for granted.

– We should be grateful that we have enough clean water in Finland and that we can safely enjoy water from the tap. Clean tap water is an oddity world-wide. On foreign racing trips and camps, water must usually be purchased in plastic bottles, which again produce signifi-cant waste.

Essi gives thumbs up to the Finnish tradi-tion of distributing empty drinking bottles in sports competitions instead of disposable water bottles typical of competitions.

– For example, young people in European Championships in swimming in Helsinki and participants at the World Junior Championships in Tampere were invited to drink tap water from drinking bottles. This reduced both the amount of waste and increased awareness of clean water. Many of the competitors drank tap water for the first time in their life, Essi says proudly.

Econet’s Clean Water Ambassador Essi Lillmanwill continue to rise to the top of the competitive swimming Econet Sponsorship. The Finnish Athletes’ Support Foundation supports promising athletes through sponsors by paying the training costs. The Clean Water Ambassador also acts as a representative of Econet in various communication channels.

4

AFLOAT

Project BEST is moving onONE OF THE most important projects in the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region is the project for Better Efficiency for Industrial Sewage Treatment, or project BEST. After a 4-year preparatory phase and the confirmation of EU financing, the 3-year international project has begun.

The purpose of project BEST is to find ways to reduce emissions from municipal water treatment plants into aquatic environment and Baltic Sea, and to improve industrial wastewater management. Wastewater emissions into aquatic environment are unfortunately all too common at many water treatment plants in the Baltic Sea Region. In EU countries the relevant issues are out-dated operational cultures and practices, in Russia and Belarus the problem lies in legislation and structures.

In addition to municipalities, water utilities, universities and expert organisa-tions, the cooperation partners in the project in Finland are the environmental services of the city of Helsinki, Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority HSY, and John Nurminen Foundation.jnfoundation.fi

ECONET GROUPINTERNATIONAL REFERENCES

El Annania sewage treatment plant, project management and site supervision, Damietta, Egypt

Montes del Plata project, equipment delivery and installation supervision, Punta Pereira, Uruguay

Makkah South sewage treatment plant, equipment delivery, Saudi Arabia

Rehabilitation of drinking water treatment plant in Drobeta Turnu-Severin, Romania

Upgrading of the water supply and waste water supply facilities in Bacau, Romania

Vaida sewage treatment plant, process design and equipment supply, Tallinn, Estonia

Viljandi Central sewage treatment plant, supply of equipment, Estonia

Ventspils drinking water plant, supply of equipment, Latvia

Development of water services in Jelgava, Latvia

Supply of Wiser flotator WPF-600, marine application, Germany

Supply of Wiser flotator WPF-1, marine application, The Netherlands

Supply of sludge suction scraper, Pulp Mill, Östrand, Sweden

Kaunisvaara Mills’ pumping stations, design of equipment, piping and structures, Pajala, Sweden

Shannan sewage treatment plant, equipment supply and supervision of installation, Huainan City, China

Tai Po water treatment plant, equipment supply, Hong Kong, China

Zhuzhou Hexi sewage treatment plant, equipment supply and supervision of installation, Zhuzhou City, China

Sewage treatment plant, equipment supply and supervision of installation, Wusu, China

Wastewater treatment plant of Guangzhou Renmin Paper Mill, equipment supply and supervision of installation, China

Yunfu water treatment plant, equipment supply, China

Fuzhou sewage treatment plant, equipment supply and supervision of installation, China

Huiyang water treatment plant, equipment supply and supervision of installation, China

Heshan water treatment plant, equipment supply and supervision of installation, China

Shanghai water treatment plant, equipment supply, China

Urumqi water treatment plant, equipment supply and supervision of installation, China

Expansion of wastewater treatment plant, Supply of 120 pcs of DEWA Chain Scraper System and 120 pcs of scum pipes, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Water and Sanitation Programme for Small Towns, Sustainability Phase (WSPST III), Vietnam

4

MackerelScomber scombrus

During the winter, the sleek mackerel thrives in deep waters, and in the spring, as the water temperatures rise, it migrates in large schools to spawn close to shore. The mackerel is found in the Northern At-lantic Ocean and the North Sea, sometimes even in the Baltic Sea and Finland. The fusiform fish of the order Perciformes can grow up to half a metre long.

Mackerel is a significant part of the diet for many marine animals. It is also an important economic fish, although their numbers have been reduced in the North Sea due to overfishing in the 1960s.

Did you know...

TERMS EXPLAINED

Friction Matrix The friction matrix is a mathematical, computational system utilizing the flow and pressure information of the water network, which can help detect network leaks and investigate the condition of the network.

even now, every tenth person in the world has to live without clean water?

Did you know...the transference of

micro plastics from land to water is researched

by modelling?

HELSINKI Metropolitan Area and the city of Lahti have started at the forefront to develop solutions to clean the emissions released to the water bodies with urban runoffs. In the cities of Espoo, Helsinki, Lahti, and Vantaa, seven different solu-tions for cleaning urban runoffs will be implemented. The functionality of the solutions will be examined in for example an underground wetland in Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, bio-filtering plants in Espoo and Lahti, underground water filter coffin in Helsinki, and multipurpose urban runoff areas in Aviapolis, Vantaa.

With the development work carried out in Helsinki Metropolitan Area and Lahti, new solutions and innovations emerge to solve urban runoff challenges also in the rest of the world. The cooperation across city borders will serve as references for the companies, and the export of water management knowhow around the world will increase. At the same time it improves the functionality of urban environment and the quality of life for urban residents.

Solutions for global water supply problems from Finland

6

Did you know...

IN DEVELOPMENT policy, there has long prevailed a principle not to mix development cooperation with trading. Now we are entering a new time and a new way of thinking; trade with international organizations, such as UN, World Bank, and several development banks, is an opportunity for companies to boost the sales. International organizations purchase services and prod-ucts worth tens of billions of euros from companies in different countries every year.

The access to the public procurement of interna-

tional organizations requires a lot of work and the right kind of knowhow. Previous experience in implementation of international projects is beneficial. The Finnish strengths, such as water, en-ergy, technology, education, and health, are sought after, but thus far Finnish trade in these sectors has been modest.

Econet is also aiming for these huge markets. Econet is selling equipment and installation work to an Asian Development Bank-funded water utility in Northern Cambodia. The water utility project is worth about 15 million dollars.

International organizations – a business opportunity

Finland’s Baltic Sea Region strategyTHE STRATEGIC priorities of Finland’s Baltic Sea Region Policy were determined in November 2017. At that time the 2009 report on Challenges of the Baltic Sea and on Baltic Sea Policy was updated.

The objective of the strategy is to outline the future development of Baltic Sea Region in Finland. The vision of the strategy is that clean Baltic Sea and viable marine environ-ment are protected and sustainably exploited resources. The Baltic Sea Region needs to increase the knowledge, and uti-

lize the resources as a pioneer of sustainable development. The Baltic Sea Region is stable and secure.

The greatest challenges for the Baltic Sea Region are achieving good marine environmental status, the impacts of climate change, and urbanization and demographic change among other things. The strengths of the region are the stability of societies, good level of education, innovative-ness, and long tradition of cooperation, as well as ecosystem services provided by Baltic Sea.

The strategy covers the most important priorities of Finland’s Baltic Sea Region policy. According to it, Finland plays an active role in making the Baltic Sea Region a global pioneer in bio and circular economy, and in utilization of new technology. Finland will also be an active contributor as a producer of example solutions for sustainable use of secure and clean navigation, maritime industries and marine environment.Source: Vesitalous

Plans to improve the condition of the Baltic SeaFINLAND’S marine management plan is divided into three sections, and the first one concerns the definitions of the good condition of Baltic Sea: the current status of the sea, general goals, and the indicators for achiev-ing the good condition. According to the most recent estimate, in spite of the positive development, the condi-tion of Baltic Sea is in many respects still poor. Feedback and proposals for improvement related to water management were collected from public authorities, municipalities, non-governmental organizations, and citizens during the spring and summer.

The water management plans include information on water status and stress, water management objectives, and measures to achieve and maintain good water status. Finland’s marine management plan and seven water management plans are updated every six years. The Finnish Government approves Finland’s marine management plan and the revised water management plans at the end of 2021.Source: Vesitalous

Cleaner environment with MBR technology FOR THE first time in Finland, MBR membrane filtration technology is utilized at the renovated wastewater treatment plant in Parikkala. The energy-efficient technology re-moves suspended solids, such as micro plastics, from wastewater. MBR technology is used in the last stage of the purification process, when wastewater is filtered through a membrane. The service life of the membranes is 5–10 years.

Micro plastics ending up in wastewaters are a growing global threat. Micro plastic residues from for example transport and cosmetic products end up in water bodies with urban wastewater and runoff.

Adidas is planning to manufacture sports shoes from plastic waste collected from the oceans?

AFLOAT

There will soon be more plastic than fish in the seasThe majority of all plastic is for single use only, and a large amount of plastic trash ends up in the world’s seas. Larger plastic trash degrades into micro plastics that end up in water bodies from industry, transport, and households. Test your knowledge on the adverse effects of plastic on environment and water bodies.

Correct answers on page 18.

Water supply project in Vinh City Neighborhood, Vinh City, Vietnam

Pre-feasibility study, process and plant design of wastewater treatment processes, City of Pleiku, Vietnam

Consultancy and design of wastewater treatment processes, Bin Thuan, Vietnam

Process and plant design of sewage treatment plant, Dien Bien Phu, Vietnam

Phan Rang-Thap Cham, process and plant design of sewage treatment plant, Phan Rang-Thap Cham, Vietnam

Biological waste treatment by anaerobic digestion, feasibility study and process consulting, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Water supply system project, project and process consulting, Hanoi, Vietnam

Thai Binh water supply project, Thai Binh Town, Vietnam

Tam Ky water supply project, supply of process equipment, Tam Ky Town, Vietnam

Supply of Dewa equipment for sludge thickening, Tobacco factory, St. Petersburg, Russia

Supply of Dewa equipment for sludge thickening, Pulp Mill, Carelia, Russia

Aerosol mixer tank, Stavropol Region, Russia

Secondary clarifiers for Peterhof sewage treatment plant, St. Petersburg, Russia

Chain scraper systems for rainwater basin for Pulp and paper mill, Irkutsk Region, Russia

Renovation of secondary clarification in biological wastewater treatment plant for Pulp and paper mill, Arkhangelsk Region, Russia

Condensate treatment system for South-West Thermal power station, St. Petersburg, Russia

Water and condensate treatment plant for South-West Thermal power station, St. Petersburg, Russia

Modernisation of Water treatment plant for Kirishi power station, Kirishi, Russia

Sewage treatment plant, Supply of mechanical equipment, Kaliningrad region, Russia

Supply of process equipment for sewage collector tunnel, St. Petersburg, Russia

Renovation of Sestroretsk sewage treatment plant, supply of equipment, Russia

South-West Wastewater treatment plant, equipment engineering, St. Petersburg, Russia

Gorelovo meat-processing factory, supply of mechanical equipment, Russia

7

1. How much of the trash ending up in the world’s seas is left floating on the water surface?a) 6% b) 66% c) 94%

2. How much plastic trash ends up in the world’s seas every year?a) 5 million tonsb) 12 million tons c) 87 million tons

3. The size of plastic particles in micro plastics is:a) less than 5 millimetres b) 5 millimetresc) over 5 but less than 10 millimetres

4. The cycle of a single micro litter particle in food chain system can last:a) a weekb) 3 yearsc) forever

5. The decomposition of a plastic bottle in the sea lasts for:a) 4 yearsb) 40 yearsc) 450 years

6. How much of the micro plastics from transport, road surfaces, and tyres end up in water bodies?a) 12% b) 50% c) 98%

7. How much of the plastic trash in the Baltic Sea Region end up from land to sea?a) 3%b) 44%c) 71%

8. How much of the plastic trash of the ships in the Baltic Sea Region end up in the sea?a) 4%b) 29% c) 86%

9. How much of the trash found in the shores of Helsinki is plastic?a) 13%b) 60%c) 90%

10. The plastic production is predicted to grow in the next two decades: a) twofold b) fivefold c) ninefold

Source: SYKE

Plas

tics in our seasQuiz

ECONET GROUPINTERNATIONAL REFERENCES

PROJECT NonHazCity, funded by Interreg Baltic Sea Region funding programme, focuses on mapping harmful substances and reduction of the harm they cause in urban environment, while at the same time seeking innovative solutions for reducing the harm.

Turku in Finland, Pärnu in Estonia, Kaunas and Silale in Lithuania, Riga in Latvia and Gdansk in Poland participated in

the study in the Baltic Sea Region. For the study, samples were collected of urban runoff and wastewater from industrial and residential areas and shopping centres. In all of the cities, they found substances produced by human activity, such as phtha-lates, bisphenol A, and perfluorinated compounds, all of which are substances not naturally present in the environment.Source: Vesitalous

Harmful substances in urban runoff and wastewater

New smart water innovation Aquamatrix developed by Econet digitally measures water flow, pressure, and temperature. The marketing efforts of the composite meter are targeted at the global market.

Esa Tuominen PHOTO Esa Tuominen ILLUSTRATION Rinssi GRAFdesign

SMART MEASUREMENT IS FINALLY AVAILABLE FOR WATER MANAGEMENT

8

N ew innovations will be created in all poten-tial infrastructure fields, but not in water management, Matti Leppäniemi, Manag-ing Director of Econet Group, sighed.

He keeps a little pause and goes on:– Consider, for example, a telegraph office in the

past. What kind of innovations were introduced in that field before we moved into the current era of mobile phones and broadband connections?

– The same applies to electricity distribution or transport. New things are born all the time. But in the water management, we still operate through the old methods. Isn’t this wonderful!

Water management area was left behindCEO Matti Leppäniemi is sitting on a beautiful summer day in his office, and his thoughts are al-ready on the Football World Cup. Train tickets to St Petersburg are waiting, and he should go on the trip in the morning. But problems with water manage-ment do not let him off:

– We have a lot of small water plants that do not have the resources to develop the industry. Thus, the sector has lagged behind the development of other infrastructures and networks. Let us think for ex-ample about electric cars or hybrid cars. Or mobile networks and cloud services. What’s happening in

water management, the managing director asks rhe-torically.

One step forward in water management occurred last year when the regulation obliged to install water meters into new or refurbished dwellings for each apartment. However, they are not nearly always the basis for water billing.

– But for water utilities, the customer is still real estate. Generally, the apartment associations still charge a water fee of EUR 20 per inhabitant per month and the amount is charged to water utilities. Apartment-specific measurements have not yet be-come prevalent.

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A new kind of precision and certainty in finding leaks in water networksIn the Econet’s new smart water innovation Aquamatrix combination meter, flow, pressure, and temperature sensors are all in the same unit. This brings new possibilities for leakage localization and network management.

According to Leppäniemi, billing based on the in-habitants of the apartment is not fair. Someone may shower all day long, and someone will go to the bath very seldom, but everybody will pay the same fee.

A new meter: AquamatrixAlthough new innovations in water management are scarce, something has been developed for the sector. CEO Matti Leppäniemi is excited by the smart new generation of water meters developed in collabora-tion between Econet and VTT that has been baptized with the name Aquamatrix. He bounces a few proto-types in his hand and compares their aesthetics.

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– Initially, the meter was developed for leak detec-tion. We wanted to develop a network monitoring system that would alert you when something unusual happens. The ultrasound can accurately measure the flow in the networks and a mathematical system calcu-late the locality of the leaks.

– At the same time, a water meter was also created for the property and apartment needs. One and the same meter can measure the water flow, its pressure, and temperature.

Water leaks are not a very small thing. Matti Lep-päniemi hits the table with startling figures:

– Insurance companies compensate EUR 140

million a year for such water damage caused by laun-dry machines or dishwashers. Usually, the pressure of the dishwasher will be left on when the machine is not in use. If the supply pipe breaks down, water damage will occur.

Leppäniemi provides another dramatic figure de-scribing the network leakage:

– 18 million cubic meters of water per year from the water supply network in the Helsinki Metropoli-tan Area goes “south” due to leakages. The amount is enormous, in whatever way you calculate its cost.

Leppäniemi takes two possible ways of calculating as examples. If water production costs are used

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Aquamatrix’s design will be further polished, promises Matti Leppäniemi.

as the reference value, which is about EUR 0.5 per cubic meter, the sum of EUR 9 million is reached. If the price is about 3 euros per cubic meter, which is charged to consumers, it is already over EUR 50 million. In that case, it would be possible to talk about the lost sales rev-enue due to leakage.

In addition, leaks are also in the pipe-lines of real estate. Small sprays cannot be de-tected anywhere, but in a few years, they give birth to mildew nests in structures and then we are already dealing with serious problems requiring costly solutions.

– If the network leakage were curtailed, it would mean considerable savings for the mu-nicipality, Leppäniemi assures.

– Water pumping is expensive. This may be surprising, but in many municipalities, the waterworks is the largest electricity consumer.

Meter detecting leaksBecause leaks can occur both in networks and inside real estate, they should be detected and localized in a timely manner. The Aquama-trix, developed in the Econet, detects seepage immediately.

– This is important because, otherwise, the seepage will increase little by little into the insulation, where fungus and mildew are generated.

At the same time, Aquamatrix is a net-work management tool. It measures the water cycle properties at regular intervals. If there are problems, the measurement frequency

can be increased. When data is generated in huge quantities, an algorithm is needed to analyze the data mass. Such an algorithm has now been developed for Aquamatrix.

– That’s exactly what happens now that water damage is only discovered when it has already happened, i.e., when the street has collapsed, or water runs into the basement. If the water has passed through the wall space, the leak may never be detected.

Leppäniemi reminds us of the recent case of Nastola, which started to investigate why water never ended up in some properties. Finding the leak took more than a month because the leak did not have any noticeable consequences.

Aquamatrix has been developed for both networks, real estate, and individual homes. The apartment would survive by one meter, but the municipal waterworks would need hundreds or thousands to effectively manage the operation of the network.

– The more closely along the pipeline the network meters are placed, the more reliable the monitoring system is.

DURING the summer, Preventos Informatics Oy, which provides information services to water supply operators, has tested the four prototypes of the Aq-uamatrix. As a result of the test runs in the pilot pipe-line network at Savonia University of Applied Sci-ences, a picture of the operation of the Aquamatrix water meter has begun to take shape.

– We have received important information about the operation of the device under real operating con-ditions. From the point of view of product develop-ment in the next phase, this information is very use-ful, commented CEO of Preventos Teemu Räsänen.

During Preventos test runs, the accuracy and usefulness of the meter data are monitored in the continuous monitoring of water supply.

– There are a lot of water meter manufactur-ers, but a competitor like Aquamatrix can fit into the ranks. Its advantage over competitors is more meas-urable features, flexible wireless data transfer and easy connectivity to backend systems.

The first encounter of Markus Sunela, Technol-ogy Director of Fluidit Oy, producing model-based analysis services for municipal technology networks, with Aquamatrix occurred last year on water days.

– I immediately noticed that this is where a lot of things snap into place. I liked the fact that the device combines the water flow and pressure measure-ments.

– When it comes to information on water pres-sure, it helps to figure out a number of issues, such as locating a leak. When we know the pressure and the flow of water, it is possible even without the model to calculate the location of the leak and how many of the small background leaks there are.

– If the pressure is not known, the water plant will keep the pressure too high, “just in case.” This again can generate more leaks.

According to Sunela’s estimates, waterworks have long been waiting for their hardware solutions because technology is developing at a high rate. In his opinion, the data transmission possibilities, the low resistance flow measurement and the pressure measurement offered by Aquamatrix are offered by nobody else in one package. The long battery life is also important for waterworks.

– The product is Finnish, and the price is reason-able, so we have a good reason to expect success.

Testing ideas for product development

If the network leakage were curtailed, it would mean considerable savings for the municipality.

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The more closely along the

pipeline the meters are placed, the

more reliable the monitoring system is.

Aquamatrix is seeking a global market.

Marketing is being launchedThe very first Aquamatrix prototypes were about palm-sized flat boxes. These were presented at the World Expo in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.

Currently, Matti Leppäniemi is pondering how Aquamatrix could be taken into the world.

– The global product is being sought here. I do not mean anything bad, but the Finnish market is small. We are looking for bigger branches to climb to.

First, Leppäniemi has turned his gaze to China. And why not, after all, there are 1,400 million in-habitants in China, many of which today are within the limits of water pipes. Therefore there should be the need for intelligent measurement. And money seems to be rolling in China today.

– There is only 15 million people in Beijing alone. If they bought 500,000 meters, we’d be in a pickle. In fact, even a 100,000-meter order would be huge, Leppäniemi explains.

– On the other hand, China may be culturally a bit difficult. Their negotiating culture is so different from what we are accustomed to.

For the Finns, a closer marketing target in terms of culture would be North America. Leppäniemi has also been thinking about it.

– In America, there are already plenty of water shortages. For them, the water is so valuable that there is probably not enough of it to be thrown away in leaks. In some states, water has to be regulated in dry seasons now.

In our neighbouring Russia, the water supply network is still largely in the Soviet-era condition. The oldest pipes may even be from the Czarist era. However, Russia is a difficult export target – not least as economic sanctions on Russia still compli-cate the commercial policy situation.

There is still the challenge of designThe latest Aquamatrix prototype is a match-box sized lump. Its shell is made with 3 D printing, and the prototype of the meter itself is VTT’s handwrit-ing.

The design of the product does not quite satisfy Matti Leppäniemi, even though after a little sales talk he agrees to pose in a photo with it.

– Colour brings to mind the deceased Soviet Union. Something smarter should be invented by means of industrial design.

Even if the design still needs to be finessed, Leppäniemi has otherwise plain praise to say about the product:

– Even if there is more than one meter on the market, this device combines more measurable pa-rameters than other available products. In addition, the measurement accuracy is better than that of the competitors. Using the algorithm at the rear of the device, it can be calibrated remotely. You can also ad-just the measurement frequency and other settings remotely. This is not just a “stupid” counter but an intelligent control device.

Aquamatrix comes with a battery from which it gets its power. In the network and sparsely populat-ed areas, the battery is almost necessary, but it is also possible to use a power supply for the meter.

Currently, Leppäniemi presents Aquamatrix’s functions to potential investors. In his mind looms the vision of removing Aquamatrix from the Econet Group to his own company and of more efficient marketing efforts.

– Negotiations should also be launched with po-tential manufacturers. The aim is an effective serial production, whereby the price of the product can be compressed to a competitive level.

12

The goal of the SmartWater project in the Helsinki region was to improve the resource efficiency of water services. The project aimed at developing and introducing new and innovative smart

systems in water supply and Aewerage. In addition, the goal was to build tools to manage the growing data volume produced by modern water services.

TEXT Aninka Urho PHOTO iStockPhoto

D ata and operations models for the water services business were developed in the Smart-Water project. These models

can benefit the whole industry. In addi-tion, interesting technological solutions offered by companies were piloted in the operational environment of HSY, Helsinki Region Environmental Servic-es Authority. Innovative public procure-ments and the development of HSY’s internal innovation activities were also a part of the SmartWater project’s opera-tional model.

Piloting innovative public procure-ments offered HSY the possibility to in-crease its competence in attaining smart solutions. The project offered companies a chance to present, demonstrate and de-velop their own products in a challeng-ing test environment offered by Finland’s largest water services operator.

The basis of the project was to inte-grate smart solutions into HSY’s exist-ing systems. The project supports the development of new products for both domestic and international markets.

New Tools for Water ServicesThe project was carried out as sever-al separate subprojects. The develop-ment areas varied from piloting prod-ucts in proto- or idea stages to creating new concepts. HSY also organized the Hackathon event for students, where HSY invited them to provide new so-lutions for the presented challenges. These ideas were further developed into tools for water services, and they were taken into use in production. The project was unexceptionally large

The goal was to promote smart, knowledge-based management in water services.

SmartWater – New Solutions for Water Services

and required exceptional collaboration within HSY and with HSY’s collabora-tion partners.

Experiments on new modes of oper-ation taught both new modes of opera-tion and more open attitudes towards experimental development.

During the SmartWater project new modes of operation that are used in in-novation collaboration between HSY and the companies have been tested, in addition to working on technological

development. Conclusions of the pro-ject have been recorded in two separate reports: Technological accomplishments have been described on the final report of the SmartWater project whereas the development methods and the gained experiences are described on the report Collaboration Development. These re-ports are available at HSY’s webpage.

Further information: aninka.urho(a)hsy.fi

13

Håkan Persson PHOTOS Håkan Persson, iStockPhoto

During the last couple of years in Sweden there has been a big focus on sludge handling, as many waste water treatment plants have outdated sludge dewatering equipment.

W ith increased cost on energy, polymer, handling of dried sludge and the risks of op-erating with old equipment,

the owners of waste water treatment plants in Sweden needs to update their sludge dewatering equipment.

Based on the above there have been many inquiries during the last couple of years on sludge handling equipment and many have had evaluation criteria that fo-cus on energy consumption and mainte-nance cost, often based on a ten or fifteen-year span.

Econet subsidiary in Sweden, Econet Water & Environment AB, has been very successful in Sweden in winning turnkey contracts and implementing them with good result for the customers, i.e., instal-lations with a good working environ-ment, high reliability, lowest possible op-eration and the maintenance costs.

One of the key factors of achieving a good end results is the cooperation with

Sludge in Focus

WHAT’S ON IN SWEDEN

It is time to change sludge dewatering equipment to be more energy efficient.

Kristianstad’s new hardware.

sub suppliers of the dewatering equipment, vast majority of dewater-ing equipment have been delivered by the Swedish company Alfa-Laval, which supplies high-end quality equipment. Alfa-Laval have developed a new centri-fuge which results in higher dryness of the sludge, as well as lower energy con-sumption compared to older machines.

For a contractor like Econet, it is very important to have suppliers that know their equipment and supply the right equipment at the right time. Alfa Laval has proved to be this kind of sup-plier for Econet, states Håkan Persson, CEO for Econet Water & Environ-ment.

The investment boom is ongoing in Sweden and Econet is looking forward to performing some more sludge dewa-tering installations in the future.

– Just some time ago we won a new contract for sludge dewatering, this time with Alfa-Lavals sludge dewatering screw, states Håkan Persson.

14

Finnish Water Forum (FWF), and Vietnamese Water Supply and Sewerage Association (VWSA), launched cooperation project Finn-Viet Water Partnerships (Developing the Water Supply

and Sanitation Sectors in Vietnam through New Partnerships) in 2017, after the end of the last water project implemented with money donated by Finland. Finn-Viet Water Partnerships is a natural extension

for the longstanding development cooperation between Finland and Vietnam.

TEXT AND PHOTO Eija Öhrnberg

ASSISTANCE FOR PRIVATIZATION PROCESS

OF WATER UTILITIES IN VIETNAM

V ietnam has started a gradual privatization process of wa-ter utilities. The government wants to be free of water utili-

ties, since the money is needed to ex-pand water management systems and to build new. Privatization is a solution to this situation. So far 60–70 per cent of residents in Vietnamese cities have access to water supply; therefore new water utilities are sorely needed. This project aims to improve the level of service through new partnerships. The project also aims to make sure that the networks are maintained and water dis-tribution works around the clock, and to ensure the quality of water.

The project proceeds with cooperationThe purpose of project Finn-Viet Wa-ter Partnerships is to contribute to the progress of the water sector, and at the same time create cooperation between Finnish and Vietnamese operators. The cooperation model is multidiscipli-nary, and there is cooperation between companies, organizations, and research institutes. The idea is to create a model that can be replicated elsewhere in the world. The aim is to improve the level of services.

– We aim to strengthen the opera-tion of privatized water utilities. In practice this means developing new operational models and new coopera-tion organizations to create new co-

operation and new projects, says Anh Thu Tran Minh, who acts as a project manager.

– The local water utility association implements the project in Vietnam. With Finland’s support of the opera-tions of the local water utility associa-tion and their procedures to serve the member utilities, the Vietnamese co-operation network develops and the services of water and sanitation sector improve.

The over 100-year-old Finnish water distribution cooperation model, and almost 70-year-old water protection as-sociation model have been introduced

in Vietnam, and both have raised in-terest. For now, the strictly regulated operations of non-governmental or-ganizations in Vietnam has limited the establishment of water protection asso-ciations, but the situation is improving.

Pilot projects have been selectedTwo privatized water utilities have been selected as pilot projects for developing the operational model. Business strate-gies will be prepared, and they will ex-tend to 2030 and create the framework for sustainable development. The stra-tegic development of business activi-

ties is for the most part a new approach for water utilities in Vietnam. The pilot projects emphasize cooperation to get new paying customers for water utilities. The ultimate goals are also promoting gender equality and the role of women, and combating climate change.

The representatives chosen by VWSA will make a study visit to Fin-land as guests of FWF in September 2018. FWF is responsible for the visit programme, and interested operators are welcome to attend. The project can also help Finnish operators find Viet-namese partners and get access to Viet-namese market.

Econet involved in the steering groupThe Finnish members in the steering group of project Finn-Viet Water Part-nerships are Finnish Water Utilities As-sociation, Global Dry Toilet Associa-tion of Finland (Huussi ry) and Econet Group. Econet Group has long oper-ated in Vietnam, and on behalf of the company, Managing Director Matti Leppäniemi brings business dimension and new ideas for practical operations to the steering group.

The project budget is close to half a million euros, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland covers 85 per cent and Finnish Water Forum 15 per cent of the costs. The project ends at the end of 2019.

The cooperation project seeks to strengthen the operation of privatized waterworks.

S uch a thought can feel distant when around 70 per cent of our planet consists of water. However, there is a strong estimation that only 2,5 per cent of the world’s water re-

sources consist of fresh water. In addition, a significant amount of fresh water is still snow and ice. Therefore approximately one per cent of fresh water is left to be shared with the population of the whole world.

Inequality in access to water is quickly becoming a problem. While the more fortunate get enough wa-ter with the help of advanced water supply and stor-age systems, the poorer population has to rely on their own means. The situation often leads to water thefts in order to profit, stay alive, or both.

For example, in Brazil, India and Mexico both companies and individuals break into pipelines and water supplies, finding ways to avoid water meters. As of now water is being stolen on a large scale mainly inside countries’ borders, but it is predicted to expand across borders. This in turn increases the tension be-tween countries.

In 2010 the UN declared that water is a basic human right. However, the right to have clean water doesn’t mean the right to have free water. If people pay for food, why shouldn’t they be prepared to pay for water as well?

Water shortage is a serious problem, even though the majority of the cities in the world aren’t in immedi-ate danger. However, it’s important that we are aware of the problem that is affecting everyone. Saving water is always cheaper than building the new. water supply systems.

Only few countries have thought about water crises in advance. Cities should be thinking universal solu-tions for regional water issues right now. Natural catas-trophes, pollution, drought or significant population growth can cause problems in water supply.

Last year a long-lasting drought the caused a seri-ous water shortage in Cape Town, South Africa. This kind of water crises should be regarded as warnings. “Water stress”, a situation in which the demand for water exceeds the available water resources, has already been experienced in practice in California, Australia and Sao Paulo. The good news is that according to ex-perts, there is still time until “Day Zero” situation.

Sources: CNBC, CNN, The Guardian, Bloomberg

Cities around the world should prepare for running out of water, American water experts warn.

Eija Öhrnberg ILLUSTRATION iStockPhoto

Are We At Risk of a Water Shortage?

Nations usually develop at the expense of

water resources. For example, forest felling

has changed the hydrological cycle

in the Amazon forests.

15

16

Jukka Meriluoto, Managing Direc-tor of Hämeen-linna Region Water

Supply and Sewerage Ltd., sees the advantages of incor-poration as an asset for a modern, municipality-run water management fa-cility. In his opinion, the Danish model is worth trying in Finland as well.

– HS-Vesi was established in 2001, and it has been one of the first regional corporations in our country. The compa-ny form has brought the decision-making and finances a level of independence not achievable as a municipal utility. In deci-sion-making, the company’s interests must be taken into account. In a limited liabil-ity company, and especially in a regional one, the ground rules between municipal owners and the corporation are clear and impartial. The finances are more transpar-ent and in the corporation’s “own hands”. In my opinion, the preconditions of the Water Services Act are easier to fulfil as a corporation than a municipal utility. A corporation can better meet the challeng-es of the ageing infrastructure, as well as operational reliability issues. Furthermore, the corporation can make independent

decisions concerning personnel management.

The personnel are a defi-nite strength for our corpora-

tion. They are a right mix of ex-perience and young enthusiasm. The

average age of our personnel is about 45 years. They have the right attitude and it shows in all work as bearing responsibility. A common problem in the water sector is the aging personnel and the disappear-ance of tacit knowledge. In our field, there is a lot of tacit knowledge, since a lot of the things can only be learned in practi-cal work. We tackle the problem ourselves by hiring younger employees to grow into the tasks with the older ones. The corpo-ration decides itself, what kind of exper-tise we hire and what is the wage level. In my opinion, that is very important. In municipal utilities, Human Resource Management often makes the key deci-sions, and due to lack of knowledge they cannot take into account the specialties of the water management operations, for ex-ample concerning wages.

We can also decide for ourselves, who we hire and for what task, for example as the personnel are ageing, and in this case we a free to choose whether we hire a new employee for the same task or if we expand personnel where they are most needed. On the other hand, when necessary, we can also react easier and faster for the future problems, such as pharmaceutical residues or micro plastics, by hiring a person who has knowledge on these issues.

Model for incorporation from DenmarkA corporation is economically independ-ent, and its mission is to carry out the task it was established for. It would give a bet-ter grip on the network restructuring debt. I would also believe that if all water man-agement facilities were incorporated, the

results would be similar as in Denmark. The utility size would grow and number of utilities would be reduced, since the ac-tual costs of water management operations would emerge more clearly. Consequently, the larger utility size enables more efficient operations and additional personnel exper-tise within certain limits.

Incorporation would also bring reli-ability, since small utilities often have scarce resources. Because of scarcity of resources, utilities often operate on luck, since even the small acquisitions for utili-ties may be great costs for the municipal technical sector. Therefore some of the essential acquisitions are not done.

In Denmark, water management facili-ties cooperate a lot of with companies to also enable international operations and enriching the content of the work. In Fin-land, the resources are limited, and there-fore there are few international operations. The primary task of water management facilities is to produce the water manage-ment services prescribed by law, and in practice, international operations would require additional resources.

The Danish model would be worth discussing and testing. In Finland, we have a lot of good knowledge worth export-ing abroad. International projects could increase the sector’s attraction especially among the young people. The internation-

al dimension could also enrich the Finnish water management in a good way, and it could be developed in new ways. Long-standing traditions can often hamper pro-gress. According to the Water Services Act, the purpose of the water management facility is to produce water management services, and therefore there is no drive to do or try something new. In my opinion, we should discuss these matters more and think of the future role of water manage-ment facilities in internationalization. The flexibility in personnel-related matters provided by the company form offers bet-ter tools for potential internationalization of water management facilities.

Today’s challenges for water management facilitiesThe environmental effects of pharmaceu-tical residues and micro plastics in wa-ter should be researched more. We have mapped the pharmaceutical residues in water, but the quantities have so far been small. The most effective way to reduce pharmaceutical residues is information. The toilet is not the place to dispose of ex-pired medicines; they should be taken to a pharmacy. We have participated in a na-tional Pytty campaign and their publicity spots. We also monitor actively the new information on pharmaceutical and micro plastic disposal techniques. Thus far their removal from wastewater is not required.

In the investments, we aim to take the life-cycle costs into account. The elec-tricity consumption is an essential factor affecting the life-cycle costs. At HS-Ve-si, electricity is consumed particularly in aeration of activated sludge, and wa-ter pumping. That is why we choose the right kind of equipment carefully, and adjust and optimize their use. In the fu-ture, we will switch to LED lights at least in the purification areas, which will also save electricity.

The strengths of Hämeenlinna: incorporation, experience, and enthusiasm.

Sanni Joensuu PHOTO Rinssi GRAFdesign

DANISH MODEL FOR FINLAND

The preconditions of the Water Services Act are easier to fulfil as a corporation than

a municipal utility.

HÄMEENLINNA REGION WATER Supply and Sewerage Ltd. (Hämeenlinnan Seudun Vesi Oy) or HS-Vesi is a water management corporation established in 2001 and owned by municipalities of Hämeenlinna, Hattula and Akaa, and it serves its customers around the clock. Within its region, the corporation is responsible for good quality water supply and distribution, and effective dissipation and purification of wastewater.

17 17

Artificial groundwa-ter is pro-duced with

natural methods, and Managing Director Aki Artimo promises even better quality water to the region’s seven municipalities and industry.

– Saramäki project is significant. In the Turku region, there are seven municipali-ties to which we deliver and sell water. Turku Region Water Ltd. distributes wa-ter to a total of 300,000 residents, and in-dustry. Especially in Raisio and Naantali, in proportion to the population there are a lot of industrial companies in need of clean water for their operations.

The new pipeline under construction is a total of 7.5 kilometres long, and it al-lows us to distribute water straight from Saramäki to Raisio, Naantali, and the northern pressure zone of Turku. Previ-ously the water was conducted to the area from Saramäki via Halinen. The building of a new line reduces the risks and water pumping. In addition to that, the dis-tribution of water will be more reliable. With the new pipeline we reach the resi-dents directly and reliably. In case of a dis-ruption, water can be conducted via either one of the pipelines.

Controlled and accelerated processArtificial groundwater is generated the same way as groundwater but the process is controlled and accelerated. 

In artificial groundwater production, the water is drawn from river Kokemäen-joki, then it is pre-treated and infiltrated in an esker aquifer. The infiltrated water flows in the esker for a minimum of three months, and after that it will be drawn

from the wells and disinfected be-fore distribution to consumers.

The renewal project of Sara-mäki underground reservoir began

in 2017, and it is expected to be com-pleted by the end of 2018. The estimated cost for the new pipeline from Saramäki is about 10 million euros, and the share of Saramäki underground reservoir renewal is about three million euros.

Micro plastics and pharmaceutical residues under controlWe were involved in project CONPAT implemented by National Institute for Health and Welfare, and Finnish Environ-ment Institute; the project explored differ-ent methods for resolving problems caused by water contaminants. The project mapped the concentrations of pharma-ceuticals, disease-causing microbes, harm-ful substances, and artificial sweeteners among other things, during water’s whole journey from Kokemäenjoki to consum-ers. The project began in 2012 and ended in 2016.

In the studies, we found all substanc-es, but the quantities were very small. The results were good for Turku Region Water Ltd., because we use a so called multi-barrier purification system. The artificial groundwater production has several differ-ent purification stages, and the technology is modern. For example, about 99.9 per cent of disease agents are already removed in the pre-treatment of water. In the end, the water is disinfected twice before dis-tribution to consumers. The renewal of Saramäki underground reservoir and the building of disinfection system are imple-mented by Econet Oy.

In the future, we will save electricity with the help of Saramäki underground

reservoir and the new pipeline, since the line goes straight to the customers, and we save in the pumping costs. The Turku region is a unique and exceptional area, because our operating range covers a dis-tance of 100 kilometres. In addition to that, there are height differences and water must be pumped uphill, which consumes a lot of electricity. That is why we have among other things modelled the whole water network in Turku region and the company’s water distribution area, in order to optimize consumption peaks and the implementation of water distribution.

The renewal project of the bedrock water reservoir in Saramäki means further improved water services for residents of the Turku region.

Sanni Joensuu PHOTOS Turku Region Water Ltd.

Saramäki underground reservoir renewed

GREEN WATER PRODUCTION IN TURKU

TURKU REGION WATER LTD. (Turun Seudun Vesi Oy) is a wholesale water company owned by nine municipalities in the Turku region, and it’s task is to take care of the acquisition of domestic water for the stock holders. For over 40 years, it has designed and developed water management in Turku region.

The artificial groundwater project is a solution implemented by the company, to secure water supply in the Turku region. Today, Turku Region Water Ltd. is the second largest producer of water in Finland, and it distributes annually about 23 million cubic metres of water to about 300,000 customers.

The building of a new line reduces

the risks and water pumping.

Turun Seudun Vesi is the second

largest producer of drinking water

in Finland.

1918

– I WORK as a logistics worker at Dewaco. I work in production, in warehousing. My standard work day includes receiving, in-specting and stocking goods as well as signing incoming goods and recording documents. In addition, my area of responsibility consists of collecting, assembling, packing, dispatching and loading spare parts shipments. I also take part in loading the projects, if needed. Of course, maintaining general order and cleanliness are also part of my job.

– I ended up working at Dewaco through temporary work agency in September 2016. There isn’t actual education for my job, but I have gained a long work experience, over 15 years, from similar tasks in the field. Before Dewaco, I worked at Rauma shipyard and Rauma Harbor.

– Since I work at the warehouse, I some-times find my job to be very physical. There is a lot of standing during the work day and I take lots of steps during busy times. The fact that there is a lot of lifting and car-rying involved in the job also adds to the challenge.

– There is only little actual customer service and sales work

involved in my job. Mainly I do business with the representa-tives of transportation companies. I also do some collaboration with Slamex in connection with the shipment of incoming or outgoing goods.

– The best thing in my job is probably that the work days are varied, diverse and reasonably challenging every now and then. And there is nothing wrong with the colleagues either.

Sometimes the physical nature of the job and the loading of the shipments cause “a headache”.

– I think that the future of water busi-ness in Finland and elsewhere in the world appears to be challenging, to say the least. The climate change and population growth will surely add to the problems and therefore having access to clean water becomes even more important. Then again the developing

technology offers better possibilities for product and device development than before.

– To counterbalance the work, I spend my free time with my family and with different sports-related hobbies.

Tatja Hussa PHOTO Riku Kettunen

Tatja Hussa is familiar with all warehousing stages. Her long work experience in the industry ensures that as far as she is concerned, Dewaco Oy’s logistics in Laitila is functioning; spare parts and projects are loaded, finished and dispatched in time.

The work team is also

quite all right.

THE NE X T ISSUE WILL BE PUBLISHED IN DECEMBER 2018.

1919

Order Ensures Smooth Logistics

Research information in Lähde web serviceGEOLOGICAL Survey of Finland (GTK) has opened a web service providing results of groundwater research done by GTK. The web service was created to secure the access to clean drinking water, and it maintains geological data and offers know-how to support water supply and groundwater manage-ment. Since 1990s, GTK has conducted detailed research on geological structure of ground water areas in cooperation with environmental adminis-tration, municipalities, cities and water utilities.

The results of groundwater research are applied in, for example, groundwater protection, water ac-quisition efficiency, defining new water acquisition sites, research on groundwater deterioration, and as background material for land planning. Lähde service is intended for use of both authorities and citizens.Lahde.gtk.fiSource: Vesitalous

Quiz – correct answers: 1 a, 2 b, 3 a, 4 c, 5 c, 6 b, 7 c, 8 b, 9 c, 10 a.

Micro plastics will potentially be banned from useMICRO plastics and OXO biodegradable plastics carried by urban waste waters and runoff are a particular threat to water bodies. European Chemicals Agency ECHA is preparing a proposal to restrict the use of micro plastics in cosmetics, detergents, and paints. At the same time, ECHA considers if the use of oxo-plastics should also be restricted. They accelerate the decomposition of plastics in for example biode-gradable plastic bags.

ECHA collected data on adverse effects of micro plastics and oxo-plastics during the spring. The preparation for restriction of the use of plastics is part of European Commission’s strategy for plastics.Source: Vesitalous

– NEW SYSTEM FOR WATER METERINGONE MORNING AT THE FAIR CENTER.

SIX HOURS LATER.

Exciting! We are participating in a “New Water Technology”

competition with our meters!

Yeah! We also won the “Name the New Asterix Character” competition with dad’s meter!

Let ’s visit the Comics Festival

as well!

Our new Aqua-matrix meter was ranked at the top!

Congrats! A job well done!

Have fun!

DIPLOMA

WATER TECHNOLOGY FAIR

COMICS FESTIVAL

BUBBLES

191919

In Finland, water utilities work hard for high-quality tap water. Water supply system covers the whole chain from water treatment to supplying water, which happens in the water supply net-

work. The water utilities monitor, control and main-tain the system round the clock in order to ensure continuous supply of clean water. In addition, utilities collect and purify efficiently used tap water, that is, wastewater, and return it to water systems and there-fore to the biological cycle.

As The Tap Water Opera Says It In The Tap Water Opera is a collaboration between the Water Utilities Association and Finnish water supply and sewerage systems. In the opera Mr. Governor General realizes the value of tap water with the help of a maidservant.

The narrator of the fictional historical story reminds: “Throughout the history of Finland we have devel-oped water utilities and water supply networks so that you could drink the best tap water in the world. Please enjoy it.”

The Tap Water Opera and the joint campaigns of water supply and sewerage systems made visible to the users. The opera premiered in spring 2017. The story doesn’t grow old, and some of the water supply and sewerage systems have brought it up in campaigns during summer 2018. It has been proved that The Tap Water Opera is working: the campaign has been noticed, it has been liked and most impor-tantly, the message is has been found to be clear. In addition, the campaign has been considered to stand out and viewers say that it provides them with new information.

Best Tap Water in the World

Finnish Water Utilities Association PHOTOS VVY/Kaapo Kamu

Clean tap water is the foundation of well-functioning everyday life. The possibilities to maintain hygiene and health, created by clean tap water, provide the foundation for welfare.

When water services are working, also the society and business develop.

Tap water is inexpensive in Finland. One glass of water costs 0,06 cents – you can get a whole bucket with three cents!

Lets raise a toast to the sentinel of Finland and our supreme tap-water.

Watch The Tap Water Opera on YouTube by using the search word: ”Vesilaitosyhdistys”.

www.econetgroup.fi