Mapping of groundwater reserves in Finland: The present status and aspects for future work

The population of Finland relies heavily on groundwater as a source for potable water. Particularly, the rural population relies almost entirely on groundwater for their domestic water needs. About 60% of potable water distributed by communal and private water works is derived from natural or artificial groundwater. Altogether in Finland there are more than 2,300 water intake plants serving more than 10 people, and there are about 600,000 private wells usually serving one single household or a summer cottage (Korkka-Niemi 2001). The vast majority of wells are finished in unconfined, shallow, and porous gravelly and sandy surficial deposits. Geologically the aquifers are located in end moraine complexes, eskers, outwash plains or littoral beach ridges and terraces, deposited during or immediately after the deglaciation of the last Weichselian (Wisconsinan) glaciation.