KENYA STUDY GROUP. Teachers : Kaija Parko and Tero Julkunen. Students: Noora Anttila, Laura Vainio, Sonja Vainio, Minna Kettunen, Suvi Kekki

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1 KENYA STUDY GROUP Teachers : Kaija Parko and Tero Julkunen Students: Noora Anttila, Laura Vainio, Sonja Vainio, Minna Kettunen, Suvi Kekki These pages will give you short description about the clean and waste water system in the town of Forssa. We hope we can chat on the subject by using the internet. Let s keep in touch!

2 Content The Finnish clean and waste water systems... 2 About eco-tourism... 5 My Day... 6 How much water do I consume in a day?

3 THE FINNISH CLEAN AND WASTE WATER SYSTEMS Short introduction to history In Europe, clean and waste water systems have been organized since the middle of the 19 th century. At first, the water pipe network was naturally built in the biggest town in Finland they were Helsinki and Tampere. Along with industrialization, they started to build systems also in the centers of countrysides where factories needed water. As cities usually grow by rivers and other waterways, it was easy to set up water catchment places where the water was first transported in barrels to those who needed it. For example, the town of Forssa grew around a textile factory. There were many water catchment places also at the market place there was a well, form which water was gradually led into some households through a a water pipe. In the countryside water was first acquired from springs where water was completely clean. The villages had usually a shared well, but gradually every household dug their own well. It was not until the 1940s that the design of waterworks of Forssa was started. Water would be taken from the river called Loimijoki and from a groundwater reserve. Ten years later a water tower was built from which water is pumped with a stable pressure to resident kitchens, saunas and bathrooms. 2

4 How does the system work nowadays? In Finland, water and wastewater services are controlled with different laws. The most important one is water law that gives orders, for example how ground water should be used and how wastewater has to be handled. In town of Forssa water is aquired from groundwater sources of Vieremänharju Currently, water is taken from ground water, which is already completely potable. However, a few substances are added in the water to improve its quality: sodium hydroxide to keep the ph-level stable, ferric sulphate for cleaning and also from the 1980s fluorine to advance the health of the water users. From pump stations, water is led into a distribution network from where it travels to the water tower or straight to use. The same water is used as drinking and as household water. Wastewater is led in to the central purification plant, where it is chemically cleaned and re-let into nature. The cleaned wastewater is broadly as clean as the water in Finnish lakes. After it is filtered through soil, the water can begin a new circulation. The Finnish legislation and the directives of EU regulate strictly clean water and wastewater services. However the pollution of ground water has been feared lately. Forssa's wastewater purification plant In the wastewater purification plant, m 3 of water is cleaned annually. In addition, storm water (rainwater and melted water) also comes to the plant. About 10 percent of the all water coming to the purification plant is process water that the plant makes itself. 3

5 The length of the sewer network (water and rain water) is around 263 km. There are 26 waste water and three rain water pump stations in the network. Wastewater causes distinct pollution in the river Loimijoki. The water in the river is not suited for swimming going downstream after the town of Forssa, for example. Most of silt that is formed in the waste water purification plant is delivered to be spread on the fields. Some of the silt is composted. Afterwards, it will be used in landscaping. In a year, the purification plant produces 120 tons of different kinds of waste (silt not included) which is handled as unsorted waste. The quality of water is inspected daily in the waste water purification plant. The inspections are documented. Most of the citizens about 95 percent, and some of the citizens in the surrounding countryside, are a part of communal clean and waste water services. The plumbing is approximately 240 km long and daily around 2500 m 3 of water moves there. Every user pays according to his water consumption. The price of water is defined by the council of the town, so the price can vary between different towns. The price is usually lower in the bigger towns than in small ones. In the town of Forssa, clean and wastewater are charged separately. The price for a cubic meter of clean water is 1,14 and a cubic meter of wastewater is 1,68 in addition, the value added tax (22%) is inserted in the prices. If a new household is added to the mains, the price is around All in all, water is valuable merchandise: the waterworks and the sewer station of Forssa had a turnover of six million euros in year

6 ABOUT ECO-TOURISM I visited Lapland (the northernmost part of Finland) at Christmas and asked the travel guide about Eco-tourism in Lapland. I was told that Eco-tourism is taken seriously in Lapland and many tourists are interested in how ecological their travelling and activities are. The travel agency 'Safari' is one of those which provides ecological ways to enjoy snow. The most popular ways of tourist of getting to know Finnish nature are Husky rides (with dog sleds). More active persons can also ski or walk with snowshoes in wilderness. In A picture of typical husky ride 'Safari' I was also told that on trips there are, depending on the length of the trip, one to four guides who are there for security for accidents and coldness. All these trips are very environmentally friendly, and they don't break the silence of nature or damage trees or animals. If tourists wants to eat or stay overnight in the woods, there are laavus to use to. Snowmobile rides are popular but not as environmentally friendly alternative for husky rides. ' Safari' says that they organize trips with motor sleds but the prefer ecological options. Thinking ecologically in tourism and business is very important for people in Lapland. They want to keep their beautiful nature and make Lapland more tempting an surprising for visitors. They want to keep their traditions alive although during the last few decades a lot of it has been destroyed. At the moment they try to join modern life but keep their traditions. A laavu is a simplified version of a wilderness hut with no windows nor doors. 5

7 MY DAY On a normal day I wake up at 9.30 am and go to the toilet. I flush the toilet and also wash my hands. Then I take a shower where I spend about 15 minutes. After the shower I drink coffee and eat breakfast. When I have eaten I put my dishes in to the dishwasher. Then I dress and go and brush my teeth. Before leaving I notice that my cat's drinking pot is empty. I fill it with fresh water. When it is about 9.15 o'clock I put on my coat and drive to school with our family's car. My school is about 15 kilometers from my home. I take a bottle of water with me when I go to lessons. At 11 am we have lunch at the school canteen. When I am finished I take my dishes to the kitchen to cooks who put the dishes in to the dishwasher. In the afternoon during my free lesson, I may drink a cup of coffee with my friends at a café. When the school day is over I drive home at 2.30 pm. 6

8 When I am at home I first drop in the bathroom and then I change clothes. Then I walk downstairs to do some laundry. I take the clean clothes out of the washing machine and put next ones in. I also hang clean clothes to dry up in a dryer closet. When I am back upstairs in the kitchen I open the fridge and eat some yogurt and drink coffee. On my way to my own bedroom I check my two aquariums. I have one of 80 liters and one of 300 liters. Once a month I change half of the water in the aquariums to clean water. When my dad comes home, he begins cooking dinner as he always does. He also puts the dishwasher on. I do some homework and in the evening, go and brush my teeth and go to bed. Some evenings we fill our bath barrel with water and take baths while going to sauna. We go to the sauna almost every day. 7

9 How much water do I consume in a day? - Flushing the toilet 10 liters (about 5 times a day) - Washing my hands 1 liter (about 8 times a day) - Shower (15 min) about liters - Breakfast - Brushing my teeth 0,5 liters - Filling the cat's drinking pot 0,5 liters - A bottle of water on lessons 0,5 liters - Lunch about 5-10 liters/ person - Washing clothes with the washing machine 50 liters/ time - Changing water in aquariums 300 liters - Doing the dishes with the dishwasher 15 liters/time - Cooking dinner about 5-10 liters/ person - Going to the sauna about 200 liters - Bath barrel about liters 8