History of tap water

The history of tap water in Finland goes back 140 years. Over the decades, the quality of tap water has improved, and declining water consumption has been registered as a positive trend in recent years.

While the first water utilities owned by cities were established in Helsinki and Tampere around 1880, the water distributed by them was poor in quality. Untreated water from Lake Näsijärvi was supplied to the distribution network in Tampere, whereas Helsinki used inadequately treated water obtained from Vantaa River. The water tasted bad and even caused disease outbreaks.

Over time, more water utilities were set up and the distribution networks expanded. Groundwater was the preferred choice for raw water, but especially larger cities still resorted to lake or river water. While water treatment techniques improved gradually, it took a long time before all tap water was fresh and of a good quality.

When an endless supply of good-quality water became available, people also consumed immense volumes of it. In the early 1970s, a single resident used at minimum 250 litres of water a day. Water utilities were preparing for continuous increase in consumption as the standard of living went up, but in reality, water consumption started to decline. The average Finnish person currently uses around 130 litres of water per day.

This figure may drop further, and people are more inclined to save water as they come to understand the adverse impacts of water consumption on both water resources and the climate. Technology also keeps advancing: new taps, sanitaryware and washing machines are more economical than ever.

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