{"id":69155,"date":"2025-07-17T11:14:59","date_gmt":"2025-07-17T08:14:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sweco.fi\/?post_type=showroom_cpt&p=69155"},"modified":"2025-12-01T15:17:04","modified_gmt":"2025-12-01T13:17:04","slug":"common-hydraulic-model-for-water-utilities-in-vakka-suomi-region","status":"publish","type":"showroom_cpt","link":"https:\/\/www.sweco.fi\/en\/projects\/common-hydraulic-model-for-water-utilities-in-vakka-suomi-region\/","title":{"rendered":"Common hydraulic model for water utilities in Vakka-Suomi region"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Common hydraulic model for water utilities in Vakka-Suomi region<\/h1>\n

Five municipalities in the Vakka-Suomi region commissioned Sweco to create an intermunicipal hydraulic model for their water supply networks. The regional model supports common future planning as well as each municipality’s individual water supply renovation and development projects.<\/p>\n

Regional hydraulic model and municipal cooperation<\/h2>\n

Uusikaupunki, Pyh\u00e4ranta, Laitila, Taivassalo, and Kustavi jointly commissioned Sweco to develop an intermunicipal hydraulic model for their water supply networks. Sweco\u2019s water management experts had previously created a development plan for the same water utilities. Cooperation is considered essential in the Vakka-Suomi region.<\/p>\n

\u201cNearly all the area’s water comes from a single source\u2014the Uusikaupunki freshwater basin\u2014so we are part of the same network. Changes made by one can affect the neighboring municipalities,\u201d explains Kim Westerholm<\/strong>, director of Uudenkaupungin Vesi. Most of the water comes from Uusikaupunki, though Laitila has its own sources as well.<\/p>\n

Municipalities are also encouraged to collaborate by the upcoming renovation tasks faced by all Finnish water utilities, which Westerholm compares to the construction boom of the 1970s. A significant amount of water infrastructure needs to be rebuilt in the coming decades.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe oldest drinking water facilities are 100 years old, surface water plants are 70 years old, and wastewater treatment plants are reaching 50 years,\u201d he notes.<\/p>\n

What’s included in the hydraulic model?<\/h2>\n

The hydraulic model developed for the five municipalities is a computational representation of the entire water supply network. It helps reliably evaluate how the potable water system functions in different scenarios, such as whether pressures are sufficient during increased water consumption.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe intermunicipal model illustrates cause-and-effect relationships and enables simulating network events during an average day or peak consumption days,\u201d says Joona Lepist\u00f6<\/strong>, Sweco\u2019s project manager for water management asset management. In Vakka-Suomi, peak days occur in summer. \u201cWater consumption varies greatly as the area is popular for holiday homes.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Vakka-Suomi model includes 850 kilometers of water supply network, 11 water reservoirs, 19 pressure boosting pumps, and 4 water sources. Network maps, interviews, and data from remote monitoring systems about past events were utilized in constructing the model.<\/p>\n

\u201cFinally, we calibrated the model to reflect actual network performance based on historical data from remote monitoring systems,\u201d Lepist\u00f6 adds. The end result provided specific models for each water utility and reports on key findings. \u201cThe results were also presented on a map.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even small municipalities benefit from the hydraulic model<\/h2>\n

Olli Lahtonen, building inspector from the municipality of Pyh\u00e4ranta (with less than 2000 residents), considers the intermunicipal network modeling an opportunity that a small municipality couldn’t afford to miss. \u201cWhen all the municipalities in the area joined, the model serves each of us on a larger scale.\u201d<\/p>\n

The most labor-intensive phase for the water utilities was gathering initial data, such as remote monitoring and historical data. Electronic network maps eased the data collection process. \u201cThe process was easy for us, even though we participated actively,\u201d states Lahtonen.<\/p>\n

In project meetings, Sweco and water utility experts reviewed the model together, identifying inconsistencies. \u201cThanks to the dialogue, the modeler could understand the network’s actual performance and make necessary adjustments,\u201d Lepist\u00f6 emphasizes.<\/p>\n

Hydraulic model enhances municipal water management<\/h2>\n

The hydraulic model provides municipalities with insights into the water supply network’s performance, average pressures, exceptional circumstances, and intermunicipal water flow. This information is useful for building new lines and predicting network performance.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe discovered a surprising amount, including bottlenecks in our network,\u201d Lahtonen says. He believes it\u2019s up to each municipality to decide how to utilize the model. “For us, the model can help determine locations for meter shafts to monitor consumption.”<\/p>\n

The model supports strategic planning for water utilities both within municipalities and across municipal boundaries. Although the raw water from the Uusikaupunki freshwater basin is ample, Westerholm says the model has helped identify areas where the network does not function as it should. \u201cIn undersized pipes, water doesn\u2019t move, wasting energy, and oversized pipes can lead to stagnant water, affecting water quality.\u201d<\/p>\n

The model has proven useful in evaluating transfer lines to remote villages in Uusikaupunki. \u201cThe farther from the center we go, the fewer lines there are, making us carefully consider alternative routes in renovations,\u201d Westerholm says. The model, for example, demonstrated that water would not suffice in the south if the line heading east were broken.<\/p>\n

Based on the finished model, Sweco created a disinfection plan for Uusikaupunki\u2019s water supply network. \u201cWe now know precisely when disinfection chemicals will have spread throughout the network,\u201d Westerholm states with satisfaction. Chlorination happens quickly when the chemical feed points are placed exactly right. This placement was identified through modeling.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Picture: Uudenkaupungin Vesi<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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Discover our project<\/h3> <\/div>\n \n
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The City of Raisio stormwater and water management projects<\/a><\/h4>