Good household water is safe to drink, good-tasting, clear and colourless.
Household water refers to the water used by households for drinking and cooking and by the food industry for product manufacturing. There are health-based quality requirements and recommendations for household water quality. Decrees of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health (1352/2015 and 401/2001) apply to the control of household water quality.
In Lahti, the environmental health department regularly monitors the quality of the household water supplied by the water supply plant as well as the household water used in public or commercial activities. The water supply plant Lahti Aqua Ltd conducts self-monitoring of the water leaving for distribution.
Household water must not contain any organisms (bacteria, viruses or parasites) or substances (chemicals) in amounts that could be detrimental to people’s health. If any issues are detected with the quality of the supplied water, you can call Lahti Aqua Ltd’s around-the-clock service number. If network or well water is suspected to be causing a health risk, Lahti’s environmental health services must be contacted as well.
Approval of a plant supplying household water
According to section 18 of the Health Protection Act (763/1994), a plant that supplies household water and conducts its own water production or treatment must apply for approval of its operations from the municipal health protection authority no later than 3 months before the planned commencement of operations. Household water must not be supplied until the operations have been approved.
Approval of operations must also be applied for if the water collection or treatment is substantially expanded or changed or if there are significant changes in the quality or supply of the water in terms of household water quality. The application regarding the change must be submitted no later than 30 days before the change in operations. The operations may not be changed until the application has been approved.
Obligation to inform about a water supply area
According to section 18 a of the Health Protection Act, an operator that collects household water with its own equipment to be used as part of public or commercial activities and is other than a plant referred to in section 18 must submit the written notification referred to in section 13 to the municipal health protection authority no later than 30 days before the commencement of operations. The owner of a water intake building or water tank in common use must submit the written notification referred to in section 13 to the municipal health protection authority no later than 30 days before the commencement of operations if water is taken by the water users’ own equipment for use as household water for a total of at least 50 people or at least 10 m3 per day.
Well water
If household water is collected from a well located on the property, monitoring the quality of the water is the responsibility of the owner or occupier of the property. You should have the quality of your well water tested by an approved water laboratory every three years even if you do not notice any smell or taste issues in the water. You should contact the laboratory in advance for instructions regarding sample collection. The municipal health protection authority may order the water of an individual well to be examined if there is reason to suspect that the water is hazardous to health.