Pietari Pöykkö

2026 Kettunen, How the duties of water utilities are impacted by the new Water Services Act:
Water utilities are complex systems, exposed to a wide range of threats and malfunction. The new Water services Act (1087/2025) and Decree (1173/2025) have specified and expanded the duties of the utilities. The required preparedness plan contents are now more concretely specified, improving their quality and standardizing practices. Training for disruptions is now mandatory and purchase agreements of essential materials and services are required in writing. The scope of the regulations now covers a larger number of water utilities than before. Overall, the changes improve water service reliability and security, and push water utilities towards more comprehensive, structured, and forward‑looking preparedness planning, but increase their administrative burden.