Suomen vesihuollon kehitys kansainvälisessä kontekstissa

Authors

• Tapio S. Katko
• Petri Juuti

Abstract

The development of Finnish water management in international contextWater management in both clean and waste water is an essential technological system in any urban society. In this article the longterm development of Finnish water management technologies is discussed in a wider international context. The article discusses variousessential facets of water management systems from the 19th century to the present day. These are technology development and transfer between experts, the role of environmental factors to methodsand technologies chosen, the construction of relevant institutions and management infrastructures, and the significance of societal factors to the system and vice versa. Finland presents a particular case in the international context with widespread rural systems managed my municipally built and end-user owned co-operatives. Finnish clean and waste water management in any given locality is typically combined to one managing entity. The waste water fee act of 1974 can be identified as a key factor in management expansion despite a century of earlier development mainly in largest urban centers. Finally, these systems are developed through continued evolution instead of single project reforms.