Underground wetland at Helsinki Airport

Anja
by Anja
1 min read
Jan 23, 2023 7:15:52 PM

#NordicNews on sustainability and Finland

Helsinki Airport implements innovative underground wetland

To improve water management, Finavia has created an underground wetland at Helsinki Airport. It is the first project of its kind in Northern Europe.

The new underground wetland aims to improve the condition of streams by increasing the quality and oxygen balance of the water that flows into them. The underground wetland is a basin filled with gravel and sealed at the bottom. Rainwater draining onto the surface is purified as it flows through the gravel layer. The aeration system supplies compressed air, which enhances the purification.

“Quantitative and qualitative water management reduces the load on bodies of water and the erosion of streams caused by aircraft deicing and runway anti-skid agents,” says Finavia’s Environmental Expert Tuija Hänninen.

The area of the wetland is about 3,200 square metres. The basin is built of 7,000 cubic metres of gravel. The wetland's aeration system consists of a total of 150 metres of steel pipes. Similar wetlands have already been tested at other airports around the world, such as Buffalo Niagara Airport and London Heathrow Airport.

The completion of the underground wetland at Helsinki Airport is a significant investment in improving water quality in the surrounding area and in stormwater management.

More on the project of Finavia.

© Header: Mohammad Saifullah Unsplash

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