Three water utilities offer companies and housing companies access to up-to-date water consumption data through an API
Lahti Aqua, Kymen Vesi and Turun Vesihuolto developed an API service together with Evitec Solutions. Through the service, housing companies can retrieve data from remotely read water meters directly into their own systems. Property owners and maintenance teams can use the data to monitor consumption and plan maintenance. The service continues years of collaboration in data-driven management.
Water supply and wastewater services are critical to society and security of supply. Developing them requires a deep understanding of the everyday work and responsibilities of water utilities. Evitec Solutions has supported the utilities’ joint development by bringing new proposals into the discussion and combining its technology expertise with an understanding of water utility operations.
Meter readings support property maintenance
At Lahti Aqua, the need for an API service emerged through customer research and direct customer enquiries. Large housing companies and other companies wanted to make broader use of water consumption data than the utility’s online service allowed.
— Customers want more than simply to view consumption data. They need to use the data in their own operations, reporting and energy management, says Soile Toivonen, Customer Director at Lahti Aqua.
At Kymen Vesi, the idea attracted interest among large property management companies, which were involved in the development. At Turun Vesihuolto, some customers were already monitoring their water consumption regularly.
— The API is a service that customers have genuinely hoped for and requested, says Tommi Rantanen, Customer Service Manager at Turun Vesihuolto.
The jointly developed API service enables data from remotely read water meters to be retrieved into the companies’ and housing companies’ own systems. In their own systems, customers can view the data alongside other property information, compare consumption across properties and monitor changes. Analysis can also help detect anomalies and potential leaks, as well as assess the need for repairs or equipment replacement.
— Previously, meter readings were collected manually. Now maintenance personnel no longer need to go from site to site to read water meters, says Juho Horto, Development Engineer at Kymen Vesi.
For water utilities, the service is a way to respond to changing customer expectations and gain more value from the work already done in remote reading.
A shared service brings together the experience of three utilities
— Collaboration gives us a broader understanding of the needs of companies and housing companies, as everyone can bring their own perspective to the table, Toivonen says.
The utilities built a shared operating model for the service. The common model makes it easier to introduce the API service and supports property-level consumption and energy monitoring nationwide.
The benefits can also extend to smaller operators. Lahti Aqua can offer the service to water utilities whose daily operations it manages and which may not have the resources to develop a similar solution independently.
Teemu Vainio, who served as Evitec’s Project Manager in the project, also highlights ownership of the solution and the data:
— The water utilities own the solution and the data. That is not something to be taken for granted.
A partner must be able to look beyond an individual change
In the development work with the water utilities, Evitec Solutions has made particular use of its expertise in data management, reporting and integrations.
At Turun Vesihuolto, the collaboration began with management’s information needs and expanded into customer data management. At Lahti Aqua, an earlier data warehouse and reporting solution brought together information for management reporting and day-to-day operations.
— Evitec has strong systems expertise, but what is especially valuable is the ability to turn water utilities’ needs into a service. Evitec has been very good at interpreting what we say and what we hope for, Toivonen says.
Rantanen points to the way Evitec’s experts assess the impact of changes:
— When we talk about a specific detail, the Evitec team is already thinking one step ahead: how the next process will be implemented in the system and what the change will affect.
Lahti Aqua
Lahti Aqua is a water utility owned by the City of Lahti. The group provides water supply and wastewater services in Lahti, Hollola, Iitti and Heinola, and from the beginning of 2027 also in Asikkala. It also develops water services in the region together with municipalities.
Kymen Vesi
Kymen Vesi provides water supply and wastewater services for more than 70,000 residents of Kymenlaakso in Kotka, Pyhtää and the former Anjalankoski area of Kouvola. The company’s operations include water distribution, wastewater services, and the maintenance and development of water and wastewater networks.
Turun Vesihuolto
Turun Vesihuolto is a company owned by the City of Turku. It supplies clean water and conveys wastewater to the treatment plant within its operating area. The company is responsible for maintaining the water supply and wastewater networks it owns, as well as for providing water services to its customers.
Evitec Solutions
Evitec Solutions provides analytics and data management services for several industries. The company’s expertise includes data warehouses, reporting, analytics and integrations between systems.