Finns were warned that there would be no cheap water

The Finnish government believes that the cost of water supply in the country needs to be increased in order to get the necessary funds for the reconstruction of old water pipes.

"The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry warns that the price of water will rise significantly — hundreds of millions of euros will be needed to repair water supply networks," Yle writes.

According to the ministry, water in the country is too cheap, and the current level of tariffs does not allow to cover the necessary costs for repairing and updating networks.

On average, a cubic meter of water costs 8.98 euros (more than 800 rubles) in Finland, according to the Veeti registry, but may differ tenfold depending on the supplier.

The ministry said that the water supply networks are in poor condition in some places, and much more money is needed to repair them.

"Investments should be increased from 400 to 800 million euros per year. Water has become "unsustainably cheap" because the cost often does not include the necessary investments," Yle quotes the ministry's opinion.

If you do not invest in repairs, the risk of accidents and deterioration of water quality increases, the department warned.

"In international comparison, water in Finland is considered cheap, especially if you take into account the income of the population. Rural cooperatives usually have the lowest tariffs, and municipal enterprises set higher prices, since they are also responsible for wastewater treatment," the Finnish edition writes.

In Russia, the average cost of water supply is about 50-70 rubles per cubic meter.