Ervi and Liisa Helanto are among the first owners of Uponor biological treatment plants in Finland. The information from the use experiences of the plant, installed in 1999, have been an important part of th development work of the device.

The family of four live in a single family home, built in 1964, in Ruuhijärvi, Nastola, Finland. The terrain is demanding and rocky, and the house is only 20 meters from the shore of the lake.

"We noticed that the hillside that had been used for absorbing waste water for over 30 years no longer was up to the task. The ground smelt unpleasant, especially during hot periods in the summer. We put gravel on top of it but that only helped for a short while," Ervi Helanto explains.

A new absorption field was out of the question, due to the quality of the ground, and a soil filtration plant would not fit on the plot. In the end, an Uponor biological treatment plant was installed in the yard.

"We noticed that the bad smell disappeared from the waste water immediately," says Ervi Helanto.

Nowadays, the only maintenance required is the addition of chemicals and emptying of the septic tanks, both of which are done a couple of times a year. The usage cost of the biological treatment plant is about EUR 250 per year.

"And that's the biggest difference between Uponor and competing systems: we don't need to get our hands dirty cleaning filters or doing any other kind of maintenance task. The Uponor biological treatment plant has been very easy to use and the service we have received has been friendly and quick."