Wastewater treatment

Wastewater systems in new buildings must meet the requirements of the Environmental Protection Act and regulations. The requirements of the wastewater system depend on whether the property is located on dry land or in a sensitive area. Particularly stressful sites and small plots have their own wastewater treatment requirements. 

In order to build a wastewater system, a permit is required from the building control in connection with a permit for new building. 

Treatment requirements for wastewater (pdf) 

When renovation work comparable to construction is carried out on the property, the wastewater system must also be inspected. If the wastewater system does not meet the requirements of the Environmental Protection Act and regulations, the wastewater system must be renovated or the property must be connected to the sewage network. The use of a qualified planner is of primary importance. The renovation of the wastewater system also requires a permit from the building control. 

• Treatment requirements for wastewater (pdf, in Finnish) 
• Wastewater assessment for the existing waste water system (pdf, in Finnish) 

According to the Environmental Protection Act and the provisions issued under it, the wastewater treatment system of properties located in groundwater areas and less than 100 metres from water bodies must have been renovated by 31 October 2019. The owner of the property must ensure that the property has a suitable wastewater treatment system for the treatment of household waste water that meets the requirements of environmental protection legislation. If domestic wastewater treatment in groundwater or shore areas does not meet municipal wastewater treatment requirements, deviations from the treatment requirements can be sought from the environmental protection authority. No deviations can be obtained if the environmental load caused by wastewater is high.  

When considering deviations, the location of the property in an area intended for extension to the sewage network, the high age or social barriers of the property holder and permanent residents are taken into account. The processing of the application costs EUR 300. The deviation is fixed-term. 

• Application for deviation from wastewater treatment (pdf, in Finnish) 
• Appendix 2, Description of the wastewater system (pdf, in Finnish) 

• Appendix 3A, Low wastewater levels (pdf, in Finnish) 
• Appendix 3B, Connecting to the sewage network (pdf, in Finnish) 
• Appendix 3C, High age and other life situations (pdf, in Finnish) 
• Appendix 3D, Social barrier (pdf, in Finnish) 

Send the exemption application and its appendices to the service e-mail address at ymparistonsuojelu@kuopio.fi 

The owner of the property must ensure that the property has a suitable wastewater treatment system for the treatment of household waste water that meets the requirements of environmental protection legislation. As a supervisory authority under the Environmental Protection Act, the City of Kuopio’s regional environmental protection services implements the monitoring of wastewater systems in properties by random sampling, mainly in shore and groundwater areas.  

• Environmental protection regulations of the City of Kuopio  (pdf, in Finnish)
• Environmental protection regulations of the City of Suonenjoki (pdf, in Finnish)

• Wastewater from sparsely populated areas (SYKE)
• Kuopio map service
• 100 m shore zone and groundwater areas
• Global Dry Toilet Association of Finland
• Draining the sedimentation and solid well sludges (Jätekukko)

Minimum requirements (basic level) 

• plot size of 5,000 m2 or more 
• shore areas, at least 100 m from the shoreline (river, lake, pond or similar) 
• not located in groundwater areas or water catchment areas 

• not located in the near and long-distance protection zone of the Jänneniemi groundwater plant 

Wastewater system: 

• all wastewaters together: 3-piece septic tank (absorption or soil filtration plant) or small treatment plant 
• black water: closed tank (at least 5 m3) or dry toilet and gray water: 2-piece septic tank (excluding dry toilet filtrates) + soil treatment (absorption or soil filtration plant) or small treatment plant 

Indicative treatment level (restricted level) 

• plot size less than 5,000 m2 
• in particularly stressful sites, such as joint treatment plants, educational institutions and industrial treatment plants 
• water catchment areas, more than 100 m from the shoreline 
• shore areas, less than 100 m from the shoreline (river, lake, pond or similar) 

Wastewater system: 

• all wastewaters together: 3-piece septic tank and soil filtration plant with enhanced phosphorus removal or small-scale treatment plant 
• black water: closed tank (at least 5 m3) or dry toilet and gray water: 2-piece septic tank (excluding dry toilet filtrates) + soil treatment (absorption or soil filtration plant) or small treatment plant 

Areas subject to specific requirements 

• Groundwater areas of Kuopio 
• shore areas of water catchment areas, less than 100 m from the shoreline 

Wastewater system: 

• black water: closed tank (at least 5 m3) or dry toilet and gray water: 2-piece septic tank (excluding dry toilet filtrates) + soil filtration plant or other method comparable in treatment efficiency 
• all wastewaters together: 3-piece septic tank and soil filtration plant with enhanced phosphorus removal or small-scale treatment plant if purified wastewater can be led outside the area in question 

Groundwater areas of Suonenjoki 

Wastewater system: 

• absorption of wastewater into the ground is prohibited, except for small sauna wastewaters 
• effluents must be discharged in a non-permeable structure outside the groundwater area, into a public sewage system or collected in a non-permeable sealed container; 

Building a water toilet is prohibited 

• in the near and long-distance protection zone of the Jänneniemi groundwater plant 
• in the groundwater areas of Hietasalo and Reposaari 

• on the islands without year-round road access 

Wastewater system: 

• dry toilet and 2-piece septic tank (excluding dry toilet filtrates) and soil filtration plant or other method comparable in treatment efficiency 

Minimum protective distances for treated wastewater discharge locations  

• domestic water well or water intake 20–50 m (taking into account the slope of the terrain and the soil) 

• water body (rive, lake, pond or similar) 20 m 
• road or plot border 5 m 

Protective layer above top groundwater surface 

• soil filtration plant: In Kuopio, 0.25 metres and in Suonenjoki, 0.50 metres 
•  absorption plant 1 metre 

Minor washing waters (carrying water) in a separate sauna building can be absorbed into the ground: 

• In Kuopio, no closer than 20 metres from the shoreline (excluding the area between the sauna and the shoreline) 
• In Suonenjoki at least 15 metres from the shoreline 

Even small wastewaters must not be directly discharged into the water system.