PFAS in Oulu's tap water: 0.8 ng/L for the sum of 20 PFAS, below the 100 ng/L legal limit
Last PFAS check: · Source: Ruokavirasto / Syke
PFAS in drinking water
0.8 % of the EU legal limit for 20 PFAS
PFAS-4 not published here yet
More about this result
PFAS-4 is not published for this supply area
Sum of 20 PFAS: 0.8 ng/L (0.0008 µg/L), 0.8 % of the 100 ng/L legal limit, sampled 6 October 2025.
Values from Oulun Vesi liikelaitos/Kanta-Oulu, one of 15 supply areas serving Oulu; the others are in the table.
The four EFSA compounds (PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, PFHxS) are not reported separately, so the 4 ng/L health benchmark and this site's 0.5 ng/L benchmark cannot be checked.
PFAS-20 monitoring is mandatory since 12 January 2026; 158 of 287 municipalities have a published result so far.
Within the legal limit. This source does not report the four main PFAS separately.
Water report for Oulu
Tell me when a PFAS-4 value is published for Oulu. Until then, receive the free water report and new PFAS-20 results, at most once a week.
- Last PFAS test
- 6 October 2025
- Water supplier
- Oulun kaupunki, Pikkaralan Vesiosuuskunta, Sanginjoen Vesiosuuskunta, Karjalankylän vesiosuuskunta, Viinivaaran vesiosuuskunta ja 4 muuta toimijaa
In Oulu, the latest published PFAS-20 result is 0.8 ng/L (0.0008 µg/L), below the EU legal limit of 100 ng/L, sampled 6 October 2025. The four EFSA compounds (PFAS-4) are not itemised, so this water cannot be compared with the 0.5 ng/L health benchmark used by pfasnearme. Source: Ruokavirasto (VATI) / Suomen ympäristökeskus Syke, Juomavesidirektiivi-rajapinta, CC BY 4.0, data retrieved 28 September 2026.
Details and sources
What the latest check found
The authorities have not published an overall verdict for this water.
See all 32 test results
| What was tested | Value | Limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sum of 20 PFAS · Oulun Vesi liikelaitos/Haukipudas · 1 September 2025 | not quantified | ≤ 0.1 µg/L | within the limit |
| Sum of 20 PFAS · Oulun Vesi liikelaitos/Kiiminki · 6 October 2025 | not quantified | ≤ 0.1 µg/L | within the limit |
| Sum of 20 PFAS · Oulun Vesi liikelaitos/Oulunsalo · 6 October 2025 | not quantified | ≤ 0.1 µg/L | within the limit |
| Sum of 20 PFAS · Oulun Vesi liikelaitos/Yli-Ii · 18 May 2026 | not quantified | ≤ 0.1 µg/L | within the limit |
| Sum of 20 PFAS · Oulun Vesi liikelaitos/Ylikiiminki · 17 June 2024 | not quantified | ≤ 0.1 µg/L | within the limit |
| Sum of 20 PFAS · Pikkaralan vedenjakelualue · 19 May 2026 | <0.0015 µg/L | ≤ 0.1 µg/L | within the limit |
| Nitrate | 0.51 mg/L | ≤ 50 mg/L | within the limit |
| Nitrite | 0.053 mg/L | ≤ 0.5 mg/L | within the limit |
| Lead | 1.4 µg/L | ≤ 10 µg/L | within the limit |
| Copper | 0.89 mg/L | ≤ 2 mg/L | within the limit |
| Nickel | 2.7 µg/L | ≤ 20 µg/L | within the limit |
| Arsenic | 0.1 µg/L | ≤ 10 µg/L | within the limit |
| Cadmium | <0.01 µg/L | ≤ 5 µg/L | within the limit |
| Chromium | 0.24 µg/L | ≤ 50 µg/L | within the limit |
| Uranium | 0.039 µg/L | ≤ 30 µg/L | within the limit |
| Fluoride | 0.06 mg/L | ≤ 1.5 mg/L | within the limit |
| Escherichia coli | <1 n/(100mL) | ≤ 0 n/(100mL) | no verdict |
| Enterococci | <1 n/(100mL) | ≤ 0 n/(100mL) | no verdict |
| Coliform bacteria | <1 n/(100mL) | ≤ 0 n/(100mL) | no verdict |
| Clostridium perfringens | 0 n/(100mL) | ≤ 0 n/(100mL) | within the limit |
| pH | 8.5 | 6.5–9.5 pH | within the limit |
| Water hardness | 1.6 mmol/L | no limit | for reference |
| Electrical conductivity | 320 µS/cm | ≤ 2,500 µS/cm | within the limit |
| Chloride | 0.5 mg/L | ≤ 250 mg/L | within the limit |
| Sulphate | 9 mg/L | ≤ 250 mg/L | within the limit |
| Sodium | 2.1 mg/L | ≤ 200 mg/L | within the limit |
| Iron | 50 µg/L | ≤ 200 µg/L | within the limit |
| Manganese | 17 µg/L | ≤ 50 µg/L | within the limit |
| Aluminium | <2 µg/L | ≤ 200 µg/L | within the limit |
| Ammonium | 0.019 mg/L | ≤ 0.5 mg/L | within the limit |
| Oxidisability (permanganate index) | 0.7 mg O2/L | ≤ 5 mg O2/L | within the limit |
| Calcium | 45 mg/L | no limit | for reference |
Frequently asked questions
Is tap water in Oulu safe to drink?
All the values shown here (24 August 2026) are within the legal limits, but the authorities have not published an overall verdict for this water. The four EFSA compounds (PFAS-4) are not itemised, so this water cannot be compared with the 0.5 ng/L health benchmark used by pfasnearme.
How high are PFAS levels in Oulu's drinking water?
The total of 20 PFAS ("forever chemicals") was last measured at 0.8 ng/L. The EU limit is 100 ng/L, so this water is at 0.8 % of the limit. (below the EU limit)
Which PFAS limits apply in Finland?
Finland applies decree STM 1352/2015 of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health as amended by 2/2023: "PFAS-aineiden summa" (sum of 20 PFAS) at most 0.10 µg/l, that is 100 ng/L, applied from 12 January 2026. There is no national PFAS-4 limit; Sweden applies 4 ng/L. This site's 0.5 ng/L benchmark is stricter than both.
How hard is the water in Oulu?
The water hardness in Oulu is 1.6 mmol/L (soft). This mainly matters for household appliances and detergent dosing, not for health.
Where does this data come from?
All values come from official publications: Ruokavirasto (VATI) / Suomen ympäristökeskus Syke, Juomavesidirektiivi-rajapinta. Retrieved on 28 September 2026.
Nearby cities
The closest to Oulu on this site.
Data source
- Ruokavirasto (VATI) / Suomen ympäristökeskus Syke, Juomavesidirektiivi-rajapinta
- https://rajapinnat.ymparisto.fi/api/juomavesidirektiivi-vati/swagger/v1/swagger.json
- License
- CC BY 4.0
- Retrieved
- 28 September 2026
- Supply networks
- Oulun Vesi liikelaitos/Kanta-Oulu, Oulun Vesi liikelaitos/Haukipudas, Oulun Vesi liikelaitos/Kiiminki, Oulun Vesi liikelaitos/Oulunsalo, Oulun Vesi liikelaitos/Ylikiiminki, Pikkaralan vedenjakelualue, Oulun Vesi liikelaitos/Yli-Ii, Sanginjoen vedenjakelualue, Sanginjoen Vesiosuuskunta, Karjalankylän vesiosuuskunta, Viinivaaran vesiosuuskunnan vedenjakelualue, Hökkärannan vesiosuuskunta, Martimon vesiosuuskunta, Leuvan vesiosuuskunta, Pahkakosken vesiosuuskunta
Lähde: Ruokavirasto (VATI) / Suomen ympäristökeskus Syke, Juomavesidirektiivi-rajapinta, CC BY 4.0, haettu 2026-09-28. Kunnassa on 15 vedenjakelualuetta VATI-rekisterissä; kaikki on lueteltu sivulla. Sivun PFAS-luku on alueelta "Oulun Vesi liikelaitos/Kanta-Oulu" (korkein mitattu PFAS-yhdisteiden summa kunnan 7 PFAS-tuloksesta); muut alueet ovat taulukossa. PFAS-yhdisteiden summan (20 yhdistettä) raja-arvo on 0,10 µg/l (STM 1352/2015, muutos 2/2023, sovellettu 12.1.2026 alkaen). Neljän EFSA-yhdisteen summaa (PFAS-4) ei julkaista. Tulos "0" tai "Ei todettu" tarkoittaa, ettei PFAS-yhdisteitä havaittu; laboratorio ei ilmoittanut määritysrajaa. Rajapinta julkaisee kunkin muuttujan uusimman tuloksen; taulukon arvo on korkein kunnan alueilta viimeisten 24 kuukauden aikana julkaistu tulos (vanhempi tulos vain, jos uudempaa ei ole), alue on merkitty riville.
This site is a data project, not an official source. If in doubt, check with your water supplier or local authority.