O U L U W a T E R W O R K S B U L L E T I N 2 0
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O U L U W A T E R W O R K S B U L L E T I N 2 0 1 0 Dear Customer of Oulu Waterworks! all requirements and recommendations set for household water well. The amount of chemicals used in the purification process This bulletin contains information on your has nevertheless increased significantly water supply services. The bulletin con- due to the deteriorating condition of the tains useful information on how water water quality in the Oulujoki River. supply services are produced and what Our future goal thus is to start using kind of development projects are being groundwater taken from the Viinivaara planned. area. The City Council resolved, on 8 De- Oulu Waterworks is a company operat- cember 2008, on more closely defining ing as a water supply plant as intended the permit application to the Water Rights in the Finnish Act on Water Services. Oulu Court. The environmental permission for Waterworks is responsible for the distri- the ground water project is being proc- bution of water, sewerage and sewage essed by the Regional State Administrative treatment in the area of the city of Oulu. Agency, and the decision is expected dur- Almost all of the 138,000 people living ing 2010. The objective of the project is in Oulu use the services of Oulu Water- to improve the security of water purchase works, and over 17,000 properties have of the City of Oulu and to offer high-qual- a direct contract with us. ity groundwater to its inhabitants. We are used to having impeccable 24/7 A total of over 15 million euros have been water supply: clean, fresh water directly invested in the extensions of the sewage from the tap and sewerage and sewage treatment plant during the last five years. treatment in an environmentally sound The latest extension was that of the nitro- way. Oulu Waterworks have met the gen removal unit which was completed operational and financial goals set well. last year. Thanks to the extension, nitro- Nevertheless, our operating principle is gen removal became significantly more WHAT IS WATER SUPPLY? that of continuous improvement, and out efficient, which decreased pollution to objective is to be able to provide you with waters. Water purchase i.e. water purification and transfer for the best water supply service in Finland in The further treatment of sewage sludge household consumption 2015. is intensive windrow composting in Vit- Sewerage i.e. transfer and treatment of sewage, Water supply networks have mainly been takangas, Haukipudas, and sludge has rainwater, and drainage sewer piping built in the 1960’s and 1970’s, and the been used as soil conditioner in cultivated current replacement rate is not sufficient. fields in the Oulu region on the basis of Therefore, more investments must be made the fertilising permit granted for hygienised 4 Charges 2010 in maintenance and renovation in the fu- sludge. Other alternative sludge treatment 5 Contracts ture. The poor condition of networks will methods are being investigated. create environmental and health risks 6 Water invoices when they break, which means that reno- 7 Frequently asked questions vation must be made in time. 8 Circulation of water 10 Drinking water The household water purified from the wa- Jouni Lähdemäki 1 Sewerage and sewage treatment ter taken from the Oulujoki River has met Managing Director 14 Water purchase in Oulu must be ensured 15 Only sewage to sewers CONNECTION CHARGE A contract on connecting a property to Type of property Building volume Connection the network of a water supply plant or right allocated charge supply and use of the services of a plant in city plan euros must be made in writing or electronically m2 so that the contents cannot be altered uni- Small houses, <150 1 513.69 laterally and the contract remains avail- able to both parties. Connection charge Charge for the use of water detached houses and semi-detached A contract is made with the owners of The connection charge is used for cover- The City Council resolved on the increase houses > 150, < 250 2 522.82 detached houses, housing companies and ing the construction costs of networks and of on average 5 percent in the use charge other property. In compliance with the cur- plants that are created when new proper- for both household water and sewage as Detached houses, rent legislation, the customer is a contract- ties are connected to the network or when well as the basic charge based on the semi-detached houses, ing party of the water supply plant and the network is extended. water meter size as of the beginning of terraced houses and consumer refers to an individual person The connection charge is mainly deter- 2010. The use charge, tax included, was linked houses > 250, < 500 4 204.70 as a customer. 3 mined on the basis of the permitted build- raised by 5 cents/m and the use charge 3 Connection contract ing volume of the plot and it depends for sewage by 6 cents/m . Some increas- es were also applied to service prices The contract between the customer and on the intended use of the property. The CHARGE FOR THE USE OF WATER Oulu Waterworks is made in writing. price is calculated on the basis of a price The charge for the use of water and euros / m3 (incl. VAT 22%): The owner of the property or a holder per floor square metre, which is 0.84 eu- sewage is based on the measured con- Water charge 1.29 equivalent to owner closes a connec- ros per square metre both for household sumption of water. Invoicing is usually car- Sewage charge 1.77 tion contract and contract for the use of water and sewerage. ried out four times a year in such a way Total 3.06 water. The contract for the use of water If an old property is demolished and a that three of the invoices are estimates can also be made – with the consent of new is built on the same site, the existing and the last invoice is an adjustment in- the water supply plant and the property contract is terminated and the customer voice based on the water meter reading BASIC CHARGE ACCORDING TO T owner – between the water supply plant must make a new contract. The connec- given by the customer. HE WATER METER SIZE and the tenant, in which case the contract tion charge must be paid. euros / year (incl. VAT 22%): for the use of water made with the owner Basic charge Water meter size mm Basic charge remains dormant until the contract closed The connection charge for a detached The water meter specific basic charge 2 with the tenant is terminated. house (under 500 m ) is defined on the covers the fixed costs of the water sup- < 20 48.00 basis of three charge classes. The loca- ply service that do not depend on con- 25 - 32 88.00 Terms and tion of the building depends on the build- sumption e.g. regular replacement and 40 114.00 conditions of the contract ing right allocated to a specific plot in the calibration of the water meter. 50 150.00 According to the Finnish Act on Water city plan. The connection fees for each 80 280.00 Services, the customer and the water sup- class can be found in the table on the > 100 390.00 ply plant comply with the terms and con- next page. ditions of the contract, contract terms and conditions and general supply conditions. Connection charges are free of value- The Finnish Act on Water Services also pro- added tax. Connection fees are also vides that if the charges change, custom- transferable and refundable. The value ers must be notified of the new pricelists, of a water and sewerage connection in charges and fees at the latest one month transfer tax is usually equal to the con- before the change enters into force. nection charge. Limits of liability are defined in the supply conditions Act on Water Services § 19: The general supply conditions specify the A water supply plant must collect charges for the use of water limits of liability of the customer and the supply services. Charges are collected on the basis of the water supply plant in a detailed manner. amount of water used by the property and the amount and Special expert Reijo Saarela In case of new residential areas and reno- quality of the wastewater to be disposed of. replacing water meters. vation sites, separate connection points. The water supply plant builds the connec- A plant may also collect a connection charge and a basic tions to the boundary of common area, charge and other charges for the services supplied by the after which the property owners are liable plant. The amounts of these charges may vary in different areas if this is necessary in terms of appropriate cost allocation for connections. The building and mainte- or implementation of the polluter pays principle or other nance limit of networks is the border of similar cause. The use of the property may also be taken into the plot in question. account when establishing the connection charge. 4 5 The owners of detached houses can do business directly with Oulu Although water is a self-evident part of our everyday life, Waterworks. The residents of terraced houses, apartment buildings water supply services still raise some questions. Answers to and other properties communicate with the house manager or other the most frequently asked questions made to Oulu Waterworks person taking care of the housing company.