Domestic water quality control

The water quality of private household water wells is affected by the well's condition, the quality of the soil and possibly various activities in the environment. As the owner of the well, you are responsible for, among other things, the quality of the well's water, sampling and maintenance. The quality of well water should be tested in a laboratory before you use a new well, or if the water is suspected of causing health symptoms or its color, taste or smell has changed substantially. The quality of well water should be examined regularly at least every three years.

As the owner of the well, you can take the sample yourself and deliver it to the laboratory. Order or pick up clean sampling bottles from either the laboratory or environmental health offices. If necessary, the laboratory or environmental health inspector gives instructions for sampling and recommendations for testing the water.

You can get more information about wells and water quality From the Vesi.fi website.

Well water analysis interpreter helps you interpret the results and choose the necessary measures.

Water used as domestic water must be harmless to health and suitable for its purpose. The municipality's health protection authority monitors the quality of supplied and used domestic water regularly.

The property owner is responsible for the water quality in the property's water system. The water user can ensure water quality by running water if necessary.

• Run water if the water has been standing in the water pipes for several hours. Running the water removes any harmful metal concentrations dissolved in the property's water pipes.
• Do not use warm water for drinking or cooking. Run the water until it is cool and the temperature has stabilized.
• Contact the property manager or property owner if running the water does not improve the water quality.

Preventing the growth of Legionella bacteria

• Check the temperature of the domestic hot water. The hot water temperature should be at least 55 °C in new and renovated properties and at least 50 °C in old properties throughout the water system, including the user's tap.
• Check the cold water temperature. It should be only 20 °C at its warmest.
• Use all water points regularly.

According to Section 18 of the Health Protection Act, an institution supplying domestic water that has its own water production or treatment must apply for approval of its operations from the municipality's health protection authority no later than three months before the planned start of operations.

Approval of the activity must also be applied for if water intake or water treatment is expanded or substantially changed, or if there are significant changes in water quality or distribution in terms of the quality of domestic water.

According to Section 18a of the Health Protection Act, the operator must report the water distribution area to the municipality's health protection authority no later than 30 days before starting the operation in the following cases:

• an operator who takes domestic water with its own equipment for use as part of public or commercial activities,
• a facility supplying domestic water that does not have its own water production or treatment (if it has its own water production or treatment, the aforementioned approval must be applied for) and
• the owner of a shared water intake or water tank, if water is taken with the water users' own devices for the needs of at least 50 people or at least 10 cubic meters per day.