Drinking water quality supervision

Hämeenlinna’s environmental health services oversee the operations and water quality of water utilities and water cooperatives supplying domestic water to Hämeenlinna and Hattula. Water utilities are inspected annually according to monitoring programs. The supervision aims to prevent water-borne epidemics.

In everyday speech, domestic water is called drinking water. Domestic water is obtained from one’s own well or from the municipal water supply network.

Domestic water is defined as:

• all water intended for drinking, food preparation, or other household purposes, regardless of whether the water is supplied via a distribution network, in tanks, bottles, or containers
• all water used in food-sector businesses for the preparation, processing, preservation, and marketing of foodstuffs
• water used solely for washing, laundry, cleaning, sanitary purposes, or other similar purposes is not considered domestic water

Are you suspecting quality issues in tap water?

In Hämeenlinna and Hattula, domestic water is primarily supplied by Hämeenlinnan Seudun Vesi (HS-Vesi). If you suspect quality issues in tap water, first contact Hämeenlinna Seudun Vesi (HS-Vesi): Home – HS-Vesi. If necessary, you may also contact a health inspector. In cases of suspected health hazards caused by water, the health inspector will investigate the quality characteristics of the domestic water in cooperation with the water utility.

Please note that the area also has some other domestic water suppliers, and some households rely on their own drilled or dug wells. Contact a health inspector for quality concerns related to these.

You can access water quality data distributed by domestic water supply facilities from the vesi.fi website under Key figures of water utilities (in Finnish).

Well water quality is the well owner’s responsibility

In areas outside the municipal domestic water network, drinking water is obtained from wells. Natural groundwater from a well is usually clear, fresh-tasting (actually tasteless), and suitable for use as is.

The well owner is responsible for the well’s structure, the quality of the well water, and testing. Always test your well water if you suspect it is causing health symptoms or if the water’s color, taste, or odor has changed significantly. In addition, water quality should be tested regularly at least every three years, as not all factors affecting water quality are noticeable during use, visible or affect taste.

The well structure should also be checked regularly to ensure that surface water cannot enter the well through penetrations, the lid, or ring joints.

Recommendation to boil water in microbiological disruptions

In microbiological disruptions to water quality—that is, when fecal bacteria are present in the water or suspected to be present—environmental health services may issues a recommendation to boil water. The recommendation remains in effect until water quality can be confirmed based on water samples. Environmental health services will announce the end of the recommended period to boil water when the water is once again safe to use.

What to do during a recommendation to boil water

During a recommendation, drinking water and water used for cooking must be boiled for 5–10 minutes. Water with an unusual colour, odour, or taste should not be used.

• Simply bringing water to a boil is not enough. Boil water for at least 5 minutes. After that, the water can be drunk and used for cooking.
• If water boils and is cooked for 5 minutes during food preparation, it does not need to be boiled separately beforehand.
• Water in coffee makers or electric kettles does not boil hot enough, so use boiled water in them.
• Use only boiled and cooled water to rinse raw vegetables. Remember to use boiled water also for diluting juice or making ice cubes, for example.
• If washing dishes by hand, use boiled water at least for rinsing dishes.
• Water can usually be used for washing, but boiled water or bottled water should be used for brushing teeth.

For cleaning, laundry, and flushing the toilet, you can use tap water normally.

Health risks from building water systems

The water quality in building water systems can be influenced by proper temperature control and regular use of water systems and fixtures. Read more on the Finnish Supervisory Agency’s website: Building water systems – Finnish Supervisory Agency

Small amounts of Legionella bacteria and other microbes enter building water systems with domestic water. Microbes can multiply in water systems if growth conditions are favorable. Microbes can degrade water quality, and some of them can pose a health risk. The best-known pathogens growing in water systems are Legionella bacteria. They can cause illness especially if they enter the respiratory tract via aerosols formed from water, for example in showers.

Key measures to prevent Legionella bacteria:

• Keep hot water above 50 degrees and preferably above 55 degrees Celsius.
• Keep cold domestic water intended for drinking below 20 degrees Celsius.
• Use all water taps regularly, preferably daily.
• Assess potential risks that may degrade the quality of water supplied in the water system.

Operator notifications and applications

Contact information