Total consumption of drinking water in Kuopio city area is approximately 17 500 m3/day. There are two main water treatment plants in Kuopio. Water is taken from Jänneniemi and Hietasalo, where the water is recharged artficially. Water received from Hietasalo is approximately 6000 m3/day, rest of the water is received from Jänneniemi. In both water treatment plants water is first bank filtrated. Total retention time in of water during filtration is on average five months and in Hietasalo on average two weeks. After bank filtration water quality is almost similar as in natural ground water. Only iron and manganese should be removed. Both Hietasalo and Jänneniemi alone can produce water for whole city, if necessary.
Chemical water purification process in Itkonniemi water works can also use lake water from Kallavesi as a raw water source. There is also water treatment plant in Reposaari island. There water purification is based on slow sand filtration. Reposaari is not in use at the moment.
In Jänneniemi water treatment plant iron and manganese are removed with biological rapid sand filtration and water produced in Hietasalo is purified in Itkonniemi water works with traditional chemical coagulation. Waters produced in Itkonniemi and Jänneniemi are mixed in Itkonniemi water works and is disinfected by chlorination.
Flow chart
Kuopio Water also produce water for Melalahti, Kurkimäki and Vehmersalmi. In these areas raw water is ground water. In Melalahti and Vehmersalmi water pH is adjusted with lime rock filtration and water is disinfected with UV-irradiation. In Kurkimäki iron and manganese are removed with slow sand filtration. Finally water is disinfected with UV-irradiation.
Drinking water quality in Kuopio area is good and it fulfills the chemical and microbiological requirements set in drinking water directive (Ministry of social affairs and health 461/2000).
Drinking water quality in the year 2008(pdf)
Drinking water quality in the year 2009(pdf)
