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The Economic and Urban Environment Board approved the stormwater program
The city acquired a stormwater program and related catchment area studies in 2025 as part of the Adaptation to Climate Change in South Karelia (SOPEK) project. The Economic and Urban Environment Committee decided to approve the program at its meeting on 28 January 2026.
The City of Imatra initiated the preparation of a stormwater program to improve stormwater management in planned areas and to clarify related responsibilities.
The aim is to improve stormwater management, reduce flood risks, protect waterways and promote sustainable development of the urban environment. The implementation of the program requires close cooperation between different service areas and systematic monitoring of the program's implementation.
The stormwater program presents the City of Imatra's target state for how stormwater should be taken into account in all planning, construction and maintenance of areas, and how responsibility is divided between the city's various organizations. The scope of the stormwater program includes the city's overall responsibility for stormwater management in local plan areas, as required by law.
A separate stormwater working group will be established to monitor and guide the implementation of the program. The city engineer will report annually to the board on the implementation of the measures.
The first measures will be targeted at the Lampsiinjoki river catchment area.
A more detailed general planning of stormwater delay solutions is currently underway in the Lampsiinjoki area. The planning work will help determine where stormwater delay solutions can be implemented in practice.
Maintenance engineer Kaisa Pohjola and city gardener Erika Luhtanen In December, they conducted a field visit to the Lampsiinjoki River together with the Sitowise consultant who prepared the stormwater program.
— The problem areas highlighted by residents in the stormwater survey were also examined in the field, says Pohjola.
The results of the resident survey will be used in planning stormwater program measures.
A total of 52 responses were received to the stormwater survey conducted in spring 2025.
Specific development wishes that emerged in the resident survey include opening and regular cleaning of ditches, culverts and wells, repairing street leveling, improving stormwater management with new solutions, and taking flood risks into account as part of urban planning. It was also hoped that information about renovations would be more proactive and accessible.
The results of the survey can be found on the website below.
Stormwater survey results - City of Imatra
For more information:
City Engineer Väinö Juvakka, City of Imatra, vano.juvakka
imatra.fi (vaino[dot]juvakka[at]imatra[dot]fi), tel. 020 617 2996
maintenance engineer Kaisa Pohjola, city of Imatra, kaisa. pohjolaimatra.fi (kaisa[dot]pohjola[at]imatra[dot]fi), tel. 020 617 4424
Imatra City Stormwater Program 2025.pdf
The main objectives of the Imatra stormwater program
- Establishing overall responsibility and vision
- one main responsible actor, but solutions are made together
- Continuous monitoring of operations and updating operating models as necessary
- Sufficient resources and cost coverage
- Money is set aside in the budget for stormwater
- Ensuring the city's stormwater funding is provided in a model that is fair and understandable to property owners and other stakeholders
- human resources required for supervision, advice, planning and maintenance
- Good guidance and information
- clear and implementable instructions and regulations
- unambiguous targets for stormwater planning by catchment area
- stormwater well taken into account in the planning
- risks and threats are recognized and prepared for
- information available to all parties in electronic form: development of an information system
- stakeholder information and cooperation regarding stormwater management
- A technically functional stormwater system that supports environmental diversity
- the system as a whole and its capacity and flood routes are known
- catchment areas defined and risk areas identified
- High-quality stormwater solutions and part of pleasant landscaping
- prepare for and adapt to climate change
More information about the SOPEK project
The project aims to improve flood risk management in the Imatra region and strengthen the city's capacity to adapt to the impacts of climate change.
In the ERDF project managed by LAB University of Applied Sciences, the budget of the City of Imatra's sub-project is 107 euros.
The project is funded by the Häme Economic Development, Transport and Environment Centre. The project is co-financed by the European Union.
Adapting to Climate Change in South Karelia - project SOPEK
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