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For the quality of life — evolution of and lessons learnt from water and sanitation services in Porvoo, Finland, 1900–2000
Author(s) -
Juuti Petri S.,
Katko Tapio S.,
Rajala Riikka P.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
natural resources forum
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.646
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1477-8947
pISSN - 0165-0203
DOI - 10.1111/j.1477-8947.2005.00120.x
Subject(s) - sanitation , call for bids , business , goods and services , water supply , water industry , water quality , environmental planning , competition (biology) , profit (economics) , subsidiarity , natural resource economics , water resource management , geography , procurement , economics , environmental engineering , economy , environmental science , marketing , international trade , ecology , biology , microeconomics , european union
The paper describes and analyses the 100 year development of water supply and sanitation and the lessons learnt in Porvoo, a municipality of 46,000 people on the southern coast of Finland. In urban areas the municipality‐owned utility has always dominated. Over 90 per cent of the investments for the recent wastewater treatment plant went into services, equipment and goods bought from the private sector through 12 tenders, all based on competition. In the neighbouring rural areas, recently merged with the city, there are nine consumer‐managed, non‐profit water cooperatives that buy water in bulk from the city water utility. Although the solutions are based on local conditions and subsidiarity, some more general principles are also highlighted and discussed. Past decisions inevitably also affect future development options.