Great differences in water prices in different Finnish communities
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Fresh statistics put out by the Finnish Water and Waste Water Works Association indicate that there are considerable differences in municipal water rates in different parts of Finland.
The so-called comparative prices of water in the most expensive municipalities can be up to three times as high as in the cheapest communities.
The comparative price is the theoretical fee which serves as a basis for making the various billing systems of water and sewage utilities more easily comparable. It comprises mainly the fee for using water, but also takes into account connection fees and other fixed costs.
The fresh figures were reached by comparing the household water costs of certain types of detached houses and apartment buildings. A sample of about 500 different water utilities revealed that the cost of one cubic metre of water, including ancillary costs, was an average EUR 3.12 for a private house and EUR 2.69 for an apartment.
A key factor in the discrepancy is that linking up with a water utility is usually more expensive for detached houses than it is for apartment houses.
The price per cubic metre of water is relatively low in communities such as Jurva (EUR 1.72), Puumala (EUR 2.62), Iisalmi (EUR 2.59), and Kuivaniemi (EUR 2.10).
Water was expensive in Kärstämäki (EUR 4.16), Levi (EUR 4.61) and Naantali (EUR 4.15).
Helsinki (EUR 2.85), Espoo (EUR 3.34), and Vantaa (EUR 3.22) were situated somewhere in the middle.
Water network engineer Mika Rontu of the Finnish Water and Waste Water Works Association says that there are good reasons for the differences. Up to 70-80% of the costs of water utilities come from the networks of water and sewage pipes, while 20-30% is incurred from the purification of drinking water and the treatment of sewage.
In rural areas there can be up to 100 metres of water pipe per resident, while in a densely-populated city there is less than ten metres per resident.
Having a water source nearby also cuts costs. Having to pipe water in over long distances adds to the price, especially if extra purification measures are needed.
Also, sewage plants in coastal areas usually have relatively stringent requirements for sewage treatment. Finland does not require as efficient nitrogen removal from inland sewage plants as is the case on the coast.
However, the EU is pushing for tighter standards in inland areas as well.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 6.5.2004 - TODAY |
 Great differences in water prices in different Finnish communities |
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