The Kouvola water company has banned the use of drinking water in the area where one of Finland’s largest garrisons is located. According to Chief of Staff Riku Mikkonen, there are around 900 conscripts in the area during the weekend.
Karelia The water in the brigade’s garrison area is forbidden to drink due to intestinal bacteria that have entered the water in Kouvola in Kymenlaakso.
Brigade Chief of Staff, Lt. Col Riku Mikkonen tells STT that the brigade received information about the ban on the use of water on Friday evening. According to the information he received, the ban on use is due to enterococcal bacteria.
“The matter was reported to the people in the garrison and measures were taken to bring usable water to the site,” says Mikkonen.
According to Mikkonen, potable water was delivered to the garrison area in Vekaranjärvi during the night before Saturday. The distribution of replacement drinking water will continue at least on Saturday during the day.
“We have also ensured the supply of domestic water for the garrison restaurant.”
After the first instructions, washing with water was also forbidden in the garrison. Since then, Mikkonen says that washing with water is allowed.
Karelian Brigade is one of the largest garrisons in Finland, where approximately 4,000 conscript men and women complete their conscription service during the year. There are approximately 600 personnel in the garrison.
According to Mikkonen, around 900 conscripts, their trainers and some other personnel are currently present at Vekaranjärvi during the weekend. As mentioned earlier about the ban on drinking water Ilta-Sanom according to the conscripts, at first they had to rely on the drinking machines located in the garrison until clean drinking water was arranged.
Chief of Staff Mikkonen had not been informed by Saturday morning that anyone in the garrison had gotten sick because of the drinking water. According to him, further studies of water quality have been carried out in the garrison, the results of which are awaited.
Kouvola the water company announced on Friday evening on their website, that the reason for the ban on the use of drinking water is the suspicion of intestinal bacteria and the ban applies to the Kääpälä area of Valkeala. Residents are advised to boil drinking and food water for 5–10 minutes.
The Karelia Brigade is located near the Kääpälä area. According to the water company, the water boil advisory will continue until at least Monday.
The website of the Institute of Health and Welfare THL by enterococcus can cause infections in immunocompromised patients. The bacterium can cause, for example, a urinary tract infection.
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