Water quality
Quality of tap water in Turku in 2023
| Quality of tap water in Turku in 2023 | ||
|---|---|---|
| General quality measures: | unit | average |
| Temperature | °C | 10 |
| pH | 8,5 | |
| Electrical conductivity | µS/cm | 140 |
| Color | mg Pt/l | 1,2 |
| Opacity | FNU | 0,1 |
| Odor | no odor | |
| Taste | no taste | |
| Free chlorine | mg/l | 0,03 |
| Total chlorine | mg/l | 0,3 |
| Microbiological quality: | ||
| Coliform bacteria | pmy/100 ml | |
| Echerichia coli | pmy/100 ml | |
| Number of colonies (22 °C) | pmy/ml | 1 |
| Metals and semi-metals: | ||
| Aluminium (Al) | µg/l | 16 |
| Manganese (Mn) | µg/l | 1,2 |
| Iron (Fe) | µg/l | 12,1 |
| TOC (total organic carbon) | mg/l | 1,8 |
The quality of Turku distribution water (pdf)
The quality of tap water in Turku is excellent
The quality of our domestic water remains very consistent all year round. The water in the water supply network is comfortably cool even in the summer. This means that tap water can be used for drinking, household water and washing without property-specific filtering or other treatment or a softener.
Monitoring
We monitor the water quality regularly in accordance with the health inspector’s approval and the monitoring study program that meets the requirements of the Domestic Water Ordinance. We send the water samples according to the program for analysis to the laboratory of Lounais-Suomen vesi- ja ympäristötutkimus Oy, which is a testing laboratory accredited by the FINAS accreditation service (T101). Also voluntarily, we observe the quality of water ourselves and participate in research projects in cooperation with other operators in the field.
Added chlorine
We want drinking water to remain fresh everywhere in Turku’s water supply network. Because of this, a small amount of chlorine has been added to the water in the form of bound chlorine, i.e. chloramine. The concentration of chloramine is affected by the temperature of the water and the length of time in the network. Some people may detect the taste or smell of chloramine in their drinking water. If the smell or taste bothers you, store the drinking water for a while in a water jug, so that the chlorine can evaporate from the water.
Water hardness
In Turku the tap water is very soft, meaning the water’s lime content is low. Expressed with the German hardness units shown on detergent packages, the hardness of Turku tap water is 3.0 °dH (very soft). Hardness can also be expressed in mmol/l, in which case the hardness is 0.53. This means that even a small amount of detergent is enough when using a washing machine. Using too much detergent does not guarantee a cleaner end result – on the contrary – so check the correct amount of detergent according to the hardness of the water on the detergent package. No water softener or softening salt is needed.
The pH of the water is about 8.6, i.e. it is slightly alkaline, which prevents corrosion of piping materials. The pH of the water rises to this level naturally in the form of calcite from the Virttaanharju soil, so no additional chemicals are used to raise the pH.
Problems with water quality?
If you notice disturbances in the water quality, please let us know. See Turun Vesihuolto’s contact information for reporting water quality problems here.
Frequently asked questions about the quality of tap water
The pH of Turku's tap water is 8.5–8.9, i.e. the water is alkaline.