In 2025, the cooperation was strengthened through a framework agreement covering the maintenance of wastewater pumping stations. The agreement has clarified operating practices and enabled a more systematic approach to maintenance.
Smooth cooperation is based on flexibility and effective communication
According to Jussi Randelin, Operations Manager for the City of Salo’s wastewater pumping stations, cooperation with ETH Group has worked well both before and after the framework agreement was signed.
– In a municipal procurement process, the price naturally has to be right. The framework agreement has brought greater structure and flexibility to our operations, and the cooperation has continued at least as smoothly as before, Randelin says.
ETH Group’s technicians have access to the City of Salo’s mapping software. When the city reports a maintenance requirement and provides the pumping station number, the technicians can navigate directly to the correct site. The completed work is recorded in the city’s operating log, keeping the information up to date and available to all relevant parties.
– All we need to do is call or send a message, and ETH responds extremely well, even to urgent needs. It is particularly valuable that the technicians communicate their observations and the progress of the work directly to us without everything having to go through site management. This makes cooperation quick and straightforward. ETH’s personnel approach their work proactively and professionally, Randelin says.
Preventive maintenance helps avoid disruptions
Preventive maintenance plays a particularly important role in Salo’s extensive pumping station network. The critical Category A pumping stations are inspected once a year, and a report is prepared after each inspection.
ETH Group’s personnel have been trained to use the City of Salo’s software, enabling inspection and maintenance reports to be saved directly in the correct system. Up-to-date information allows identified issues to be addressed before they cause downtime or other serious problems.
– The service has been good. Without preventive inspections, we would certainly have faced difficult situations. Constantly fighting fires is not sensible when problems can be identified and addressed in advance, Randelin says.
Pumps are sized according to actual requirements
The cooperation also focuses on improving the energy efficiency of the pumping stations. When pumps are resized together with the pump supplier, they are selected according to the site’s actual flow rate and pumping head. ETH Group is responsible for installing the new pumps.
A correctly sized pump can perform the required work at a lower power output and with shorter operating times. This reduces energy consumption, generates savings for the city and supports the pumping station’s operational reliability.
– We are still in the early stages of developing pump resizing, but our goal is to improve how pump sizing is managed. ETH Group also provides us with expert support in this work, Randelin says.
Tuomas Hossi, Project Manager at ETH Group, considers flexibility and jointly agreed operating practices to be among the strengths of the cooperation.
– Our cooperation with the City of Salo has been long-standing, flexible and smooth. We can respond quickly when urgent work is required, while planned work is scheduled according to the city’s needs. The pumping station renovations have also proceeded extremely well, Hossi says.
ETH Group’s comprehensive service is supported by its own piping specialists, modern maintenance equipment with lifting capabilities, and bypass pumping equipment. The technicians’ extensive experience in pumping station renovations also helps ensure that work is completed safely and in a controlled manner at a wide variety of sites.
Long-standing cooperation, preventive maintenance, versatile in-house expertise and correctly sized pumps help the City of Salo improve the operational reliability of its wastewater pumping stations while managing their energy consumption and lifecycle costs.
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