Expanding Sanitary Infrastructure and the Shaping of River History: River Vantaa (Finland) 1876-1982

Abstract

This article investigates the environmental history of the River Vantaa, southern Finland, and its interaction with the spatial development of water-related infrastructures in an urbanising environment. The article argues that the overlapping use of the river as part of both waste water and drinking water infrastructures has shaped its ecological characteristics and consequently influenced communities' possibilities for using it. As a response to hydrological alterations, human activity focused on increasingly manipulating the river water and its flow. The study describes a gradual spatial expansion of the hydrological territory of the Finnish capital and a process of increasingly heavy engineered alterations in order to meet the water-related needs of communities in the region. This happened within the watershed and beyond, both above and under the surface. The study covers the time period from 1876 to 1982.

Politicization of wastewater overflows: the case of the Vantaa River, Finland

“…they may interpret the natural brownish color of the river as a sign of pollution, as was noted in inquiries made to fishermen (e.g. Saura et al, 2005).…”

“…No compensation was paid, and consensus about the reason for the hypoxia was not reached. Officially, it was announced that both overflows and scattered loading caused the hypoxia (Uusimaa Employment & Economic Development Center & VHVSY, 2004;Saura et al, 2005). However, VHVSY emphasized the scattered loading , while Virho stuck with the argument that the main reason was the overflows, but that their influence was underestimated on purpose by the officials (Stenholm, 2004;Stenholm & Lehtinen, 2005).…”

Role of Transformative Capacity in River Basin Management Transformations

“…The history of the River Vantaa management has been recorded extensively, and existing publications provide a valid synthesis of the historical changes of the river and its basin (Herranen 2001;Rahikainen 2001;Schönach 2007Schönach , 2015Juuti 2015;Heikkinen et al 2016). These studies are based on a diverse set of historical sources, which are referenced in detail in the respective publications.…”

“…The gradual deterioration of the water quality in River Vantaa was a growing concern, especially since it was the source of water supply of the City of Helsinki. The concern culminated during the 1950s (Schönach 2015). Chemicals, especially phenols, increasingly polluted the river, and caused a repulsive taste in the tap water in Helsinki, caused by reactions of pollutants with water purifying substances.…”

River histories: a thematic review

“…The most typical qualitative issues have occurred when the connected communities' rely on rivers as sources of water supply and sinks for human sewage and industrial wastewater (see e.g. Armstrong et al 2009;Bagle 2012;Schönach 2015). River histories show convincingly that the repeatedly occurring human tendency to treat riverine uses and problems in isolation and without regard to this connecting property of rivers worsens existing problems, or creates new ones.…”