Approval for a Household Water Supplier and Wholesaler
If you operate a facility that supplies household water and has its own water production or treatment, you must apply for approval from the municipal health protection authority at least three months before starting operations. Wholesale facilities that sell water to household water suppliers without serving end users must also obtain approval. The facility may not begin operations before receiving the approval decision.
Approval ensures that water supply and quality meet the requirements of the Health Protection Act (terveydensuojelulaki). Facilities supplying at least 10 cubic metres per day or serving at least 50 people must also prepare a risk management plan in cooperation with the municipal health protection authority. The plan covers the entire water supply chain from source to tap.
Requirements
- Approval: The facility may not supply water before its operations have been approved
- Wholesaler: A wholesaler may not start operations before approval
- Changes: The facility must apply for approval if it substantially expands or changes its water abstraction or treatment
- Water quality and distribution: Approval must be applied for if significant changes occur in water quality or distribution
- Application deadline: An application concerning changes must be submitted at least 30 days before the change
Application procedure
- Submitting application: The application is submitted to the municipal health protection authority
- Commencing operations: The facility may not change its operations before the application has been approved
- Foreign operators: Operators established in other EEA countries temporarily providing services in Finland require the same approvals as operators established in Finland