After hosting many innovation and leadership events, this one felt refreshingly different, in every sense of the word.
I had the privilege of hosting the first-ever seminar on drinking water safety, organized by Aalto University WAT and the Erkki Paasikivi Foundation. The event gathered experts from academia, business, and the student community to explore one of the world’s most vital yet often overlooked resources: water.
The day began with a question from Kristiina Paasikivi that caught me off guard:
“Kamilla, what’s your take on water?”
It made me pause.
I had just returned from Uzbekistan, a place where water scarcity is part of daily life. I grew up near the shrinking Aral Sea, surrounded by cracked soil and families rationing every drop. Coming back to Finland, one of the most water-abundant countries per capita, always reminds me how easy it is to take clean water for granted.
That contrast set the tone for a day of learning, reflection, and urgency.
Insights That Flowed Through the Day
The discussions revealed challenges that are both pressing and global:
🚱 The world loses $39 billion annually to water leakages and “non-revenue water”, the treated water that never reaches our taps.
🚱 Chemical overuse continues to contaminate drinking water in ways we barely detect.
🚱 Only 0.5–1% of investments go into water infrastructure, though €800 million is needed every year in Finland alone.
But there was also optimism and innovation:
💡 Using AI to monitor water flow and detect anomalies in Sweden.
💡 Calls for stronger collaboration between academia and industry.
💡 Early education initiatives to build water awareness from kindergarten onwards.
One uplifting fact that drew smiles all around, Finland’s tap water is safer than most bottled water. So yes, I’ll be skipping the bottle from now on. 😉
And here’s a friendly reminder for everyone: never flush leftover medicine down the drain, return it to your local pharmacy for safe disposal.
A Call for Early Water Education
The seminar ended with a crucial question:
“How can we better educate audiences about drinking water safety?”
Today, most water education happens at the university level. Yet, as the discussions highlighted, it’s time to start much earlier, in schools, communities, and households.
Water connects us all. Understanding its value should begin long before we face scarcity.
Gratitude and Highlights
A big applause to the organizers, Kristiina Paasikivi, Henrik Paasikivi, Heikki Särkkä, and Harri Koivusalo, for bringing this important conversation to life, and to Anna Mikola for her continued support and expertise throughout the day.
Heartfelt thanks to all the brilliant presenters and panelists for their insights and energy: Miettinen Ilkka, Sofija Djukanovic, Jarno Karjalainen, Elin Lavonen, Jutta Lindfors, Raed Al-juboori, Tomi Laurila, Salla Puupponen, Tatjana Karpova, and Reetta Stjerna.
And finally, it was a pleasure connecting with Outi Grönfors and Jouni Lounasmaa, the perfect way to end a meaningful, thought-provoking day in inspiring company.
Let’s keep the conversation on water flowing, because trust, dignity, and sustainability begin with how we value the resources that sustain us all.
