Wastewater Regulations
Wastewater Regulations – What Does It Mean and Who Does It Affect?
The new wastewater regulations bring changes to wastewater treatment in sparsely populated areas. The new law on wastewater treatment came into force in Finland in 2017, and the deadline for wastewater system modifications based on it was in October 2019.
The objective of the regulation clarifying the law is, in summary, as follows: if your property located in a sparsely populated area meets the required conditions, appropriate treatment must be arranged for household wastewater, for example with a wastewater system.
Proper Wastewater Treatment Improves the Cleanliness of Nearby Water Bodies
Behind the long-prepared law is the idea of effective, safe, and environmentally appropriate wastewater treatment. If wastewater were not treated properly, it could end up polluting nearby water bodies and, for example, groundwater. Thus, good wastewater treatment planning can protect the local environment.
Careless wastewater treatment can lead to, for example, contamination of well water and eutrophication of swimming beaches. Therefore, wastewater treatment aims to ensure that your own and the surrounding environment's waters remain safely clean and usable.
Who Do the New Wastewater Regulations Affect?
The new wastewater regulations apply to properties in sparsely populated areas that use piped water and meet the following conditions.
The wastewater system must be renewed if your property is located within 100 meters of water bodies or the sea, or in a groundwater area. The building can be, for example, a residential house, summer cottage, waterfront sauna, agricultural building, or a holiday cottage or camp center used for business purposes.
In some cases, the regulation also applies to other properties located outside waterfront and groundwater areas in connection with major renovations. If, for example, you are building a flush toilet or doing other plumbing work requiring a building permit, the wastewater system must be renewed at the same time.
According to the law, action must be taken by October 31, 2019, if the conditions are met.
When Don't You Need to Consider the Wastewater Regulations?
Renewing the wastewater system certainly does not affect all residents of sparsely populated areas. The law includes provisions based on which you do not need to make changes to your wastewater treatment.
You do not need to renew your wastewater system if
– Your property does not use piped water. In other words, if you only have an outhouse or carry water to the cottage and sauna from a well, you do not need a wastewater system.
– Your property is not located in a groundwater area or on a waterfront (and you are not doing plumbing renovations there).
– If your building permit was granted in 2004 or later, as this already takes into account modern wastewater treatment requirements.
– You already have a required and functioning wastewater system.
– If you are connecting your building to the sewerage network, you naturally do not need a wastewater system.
You can also receive an exemption from renewing the wastewater system
– due to advanced age: if you were born before March 9, 1943, you do not need to renew your wastewater system.
– for social reasons: if it is deemed that you do not have the required financial resources to renew the wastewater system, the system does not need to be renewed.
My Property Meets the Criteria Required by the Wastewater Regulations. What Should I Do?
If you meet the above-mentioned wastewater regulation conditions, you must renew your wastewater system.
Implementing your wastewater system requires
– a wastewater plan, which specifies, among other things, the sizing, location, required products, and their operating and maintenance instructions for your wastewater system.
– wastewater treatment products, which are installed on your property.
Based on the wastewater regulations, in waterfront and groundwater areas, black water, i.e., toilet water, must be directed to, for example, a septic tank, which prevents wastewater from entering nature uncontrolled. Grey water, or wash water, can be treated locally with a grey water filter. The filter effectively purifies the wastewater and discharges it into nature in a controlled manner.
Vestelli's wastewater systems meet both all the requirements of the wastewater regulations and strict environmental and safety requirements. Our products have undergone numerous independent tests that verify high purification efficiency and environmental friendliness.
Vestelli's Test-Winning and Key Flag Products
Our wastewater products, such as Biopuhdistajat, are test winners in their field and domestic Key Flag products.
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