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 Oulun Vesi, the Oulu water authority, has sent every Oulu home a pamphlet entitled “H2Oulu,” in which it discusses the intricacies of filtration and sewage, and its plan to obtain permission to supply the town’s water from groundwater sources. Currently, all Oulu’s water supply is pumped from the river.
The full-colour brochure, which smoothes over some price increases including a 0.25 euro hike per cubic metre of sewage water, invites customers to try out their new online service “AquaNet,” which promises up-to-date information on water meter usage. AquaNet’s services are as yet unavailable, and the average householder will have to contact their janitor to ask for its figures. Oulu’s home water supplies are softwater (3,3 dH), meaning that residents can use the minimum amount of washing powder for their socks and long-johns. The pH value of Oulu water is alkaline at 8,3, making it – according to some disputed studies – safer to drink and better to cook with. Authorities urge that residents remember not to drop ‘firm wastes’ in their toilet bowls, such as “tights, nappies, cotton buds, paper towels, matches, cigarettes, condoms, sand and soil, petrol, oil, lubricants, other flammable items, and hot wax.”
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