Where does all our water go? Excursion to Viikinmäki

Our materials technology students were on the move again today to Viikinmäki waste water treatment plant in Helsinki. As part 4 of the circular economy spring tour we went underground through the largest treatment plant in Finland and the Nordic countries, which processes the wastewaters of around 800,000 residents as well as the wastewaters of the region’s industry. We learned about the different treatment stages of screening, sedimentation, aeration and biological filtration, and about the current interest in microplastics and their removal from wastewater before release to the sea.

Student Pratibha Goyal: “Great plant, but interesting that they can still improve a bit, e.g. some bacteria in bioreactor consuming oxygen rather than nitrogen. Not as smelly as I had expected!”

Student Edwin Mwasi: “Rain and sewage still mixing together in same place – separating them would simplify treatment. Nice that they were doing waste water treatment. Great that most of the work is done underground – smell not spreading to residential areas. Back in Kenya the waste water treatment plant is really smelly, and also we had problem with acid rain.”

Student Marjan Sultana: “Great place. Good that they save electricity.”