Country Profile Regulation Tariffs Finland is a Nordic country in northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east. It’s one of the most northern countries in the world. Finland consists of 19 regions (Maakunta), each governed by a council. The country is administratively further divided into 309 municipalities (Kunta), half of which have less than 6,000 residents. Country Overview Year Figure Population 2022 5,556,880 Country Area (km2) 2021 338,460 GDP (billion USD) 2022 280.83 GDP per capita (USD) 2022 50,536.6 World Bank Income Group 2021 High Income World Bank Region 2021 Europe and Central Asia Source: World Bank Data - Finland Water and Wastewater Sector Structure Water and wastewater services in Finland are mostly provided by public water and sewerage utilities, which are owned by municipalities. There are approximately 300 utilities that are serving almost 90% of the country’s population. Most of the utilities are organized as municipal enterprises but there is a growing interest in inter and supra-municipal cooperation, in the likes of regional water companies owned by several municipalities. The rest of the population, usually in less urban and more remote environments, is served by mostly small, user-owned organizations such as water cooperatives. There are about 1,200 water and wastewater cooperatives across the country, with a number of them providing services to only tens or hundreds of customers. In the most sparsely populated areas the access to water is often based on private wells and on-site sanitation solutions. Authority Level Role Ministry of the Environment National Prepares national objectives and legislation for water protection and river basin management and approves water resources management plans and assesses their implementation. Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry National Prepares and implements legislation relating to the water supply and services, and the water economy in general. In 2020, the Ministry launched a national reform of the water supply and wastewater system in order to improve its reliability. The aim is to promote the renewal of the sector by means of digitalisation and new technologies. Finnish Environment Institute National Responsible for monitoring of water, societal and economic assessments of water-related decisions and development of solutions for the use, management, and protection of water resources. Ministry of Social Affairs and Health National Responsible for monitoring the drinking water quality. Municipalities Local Legally responsible for organizing water and wastewater services in their service area, mostly through municipally owned utilities and companies. Water cooperatives Local Mostly user-owned water facilities that are providing water and wastewater services in more remote and less populated areas. Number of WSS Service Providers circa 1500 Ownership Public Service Type Water and Wastewater Geographic Scope Municipal Municipalities are legally responsible for organizing water and wastewater services, in line with the Water Services Act, the most important legislation governing the sector. Municipalities also own by far the largest share of water services infrastructure. Under the Water Services Act, the tariffs for water and wastewater services are guided by the principle of cost recovery. In addition, they need to allow for required investments and long-term stability of provided services. As a result, the tariffs differ depending on the type of organization providing the services and the structure of the local community. A new revision of the Water Services Act plans to explore potential ways of fiscal supervision of drinking water and wastewater treatment plants, which was supposed to start in 2020 Water and Wastewater Regulations Legislation and Policies Year Description Water Services Act 2001 Aims to ensure, at a reasonable cost, water services that provide pure potable household water and appropriate sewage management. Delegates to municipalities the responsibility for the development of water and wastewater services in their territories. Amended in 2014 to ensure the sustainability and reliability of services even in the event of incidents and climate change. Water Act 2011 Makes provisions concerning a wide variety of matters concerning the management, utilization, and conservation of water resources. Environmental Protection Act 2014 Makes provisions for the treatment and conveyance of wastewater in areas outside sewer networks. Among other things, defines environmental liability and sets out principles of environmental protection, in particular with respect to water pollution and the protection of groundwater. Health Protection Act 1994 Makes provisions concerning the quality and the monitoring of drinking water. Utility Date Link HSY Helsinki Jan 2023 Tariff Turku Mar 2023 Tariff A more complete list tariffs can be found in the IBNET Tariff Database - Finland