Finland’s water supply system is among the best in the world, but climate change, demographic shifts, and new security threats are putting pressure on its reliability.
The WaterFall project (“Safe Water for All”) identifies key risks and drivers of change, and develops methods and tools to strengthen the resilience of water services. The goal is to ensure the quality and availability of drinking water in all circumstances. Researchers involved in the project have now published an article on the topic in the Vesitalous journal.
In water services, resilience means the ability to anticipate, withstand, and recover from disruptions.
“By strengthening this capability, we ensure safe drinking water and society’s overall crisis resilience — both now and in the changing conditions of the future,” says Senior Researcher Päivi Meriläinen from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).
Prevention and maintenance make the difference
Although the quality of drinking water in Finland is generally high, vulnerabilities are increasing due to climate change, demographic developments, new security threats, and aging infrastructure. Financial reporting practices vary, regulatory requirements are increasing, and protecting critical infrastructure requires cross‑sector cooperation.
Safe drinking water is secured through long-term investments, systematic risk assessment, and proactive maintenance.
“When authorities, water utilities, municipalities, and researchers work together, the water sector is better able to anticipate and recover from disruptions — and water quality and availability can be ensured nationwide also in the years ahead,” Meriläinen says.
The WaterFall project is developing a systematic approach to assessing and strengthening resilience across the entire water supply chain.
More information
Meriläinen, P., Laukka, V., Mustajoki, J., Rossi, P., Leviäkangas, P., Halonen, K‑M., Sommarberg, S., Miettinen, I.T. (2026). Safe Water for Everyone – Managing the Challenges of Drinking Water. Vesitalous 2/2026.
WaterFall – Safe Water for All
Päivi Meriläinen
Leader of the Water Quality and Health work package
Senior Researcher, THL
p. 029 524 7826
firstname.lastname@thl.fi
Ilkka Miettinen
Director of the WaterFall Consortium
Chief Researcher, THL
p. 029 524 6371
firstname.lastname@thl.fi