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Groundwater is almost everywhere in the soil. In some areas, it is especially abundant and these areas are classified as groundwater areas. The groundwater areas of the Imatra region have been reclassified in 2022 in the ELY Center of Southeast Finland. The third class has been left out of the classification. A 1st-class groundwater area means an important groundwater area for water procurement, and a 2nd-class groundwater area is another groundwater area suitable for water procurement use. The letter code E in connection with a groundwater area, 1E and 2E, means a groundwater area on which the surface water or soil ecosystem is directly dependent. In the Imatra region, the groundwater areas are located mainly in the first and second Salpauselä. The location of settlements, industry, the most important traffic routes, etc. in the same areas poses a risk to groundwater. Southeast Finland's ELY center has prepared together with stakeholders Southeastern Finland's water management action program for surface and groundwater for the years 2022–2027. It presents risk areas, investigation targets and measures to protect groundwater areas.
The environmental department of the Imatra region is responsible for the protection of groundwater, e.g. by placing regulations on the protection and monitoring of groundwater in environmental permits. The environmental protection regulations of the municipalities also have provisions related to the protection of groundwater. In Parikkala, Rautjärvi and Ruokolahti, the environmental action implemented a project funded by the Ministry of the Environment and the municipalities in 2014-2015, in which protection plans were drawn up for the most important groundwater areas.
In Imatra, the Vesioronkanka Class 1 groundwater area is home to several operations that pose a risk to groundwater quality. However, the area has a thick layer of sand that protects the groundwater. Vesoronkanka's groundwater protection plan will be updated in 2024–2025. In 2018, a joint groundwater monitoring plan was drawn up for Vesioronkanka as a thesis, and in 2022 a master's thesis on the interaction of surface and groundwater in the Vesioronkanka groundwater area was published. There have been activities in the Korvenkanna class 2 groundwater area that have left a mark on the groundwater quality.
There are many small groundwater areas in Parikkala. The most important groundwater area is Heralammi's 1E class groundwater area on the border of Parikkala and Punkaharju, in the direction of Oronmylly, whose groundwater is of very good quality. Other important groundwater areas in terms of water intake are the Suurikanka 1-class groundwater area located in Kirjavalansalo and the Särkisalmi 1-class groundwater area. Two risky groundwater areas in Parikkala are mentioned in the action program of the Vuoksi watershed's water management plan: the groundwater areas of Likolammen and Simpelee (part in Rautjärvi). Protection measures are especially necessary in risk groundwater areas.
Rautjärvi has a total of 10 groundwater areas, of which Laikko is 1E class, Tulilampi 1 class and Simpele 1E class groundwater areas. Laikko is a large groundwater area, where the wonderful Laikko spring is also located. Groundwater areas at risk are the Simpeleen, Änkilä (class 2) and Laiko groundwater areas.
In the large and water-rich Ruokolahti municipality, there are approx. 40 groundwater areas, e.g. Lampsiinlammi class 1 and Oritlammi class 1 groundwater areas. The largest and most productive groundwater area is called II SS Ruokolahti on the second Salpauselä, which starts from Syyspohja and continues all the way to Taipalsaari Kyläniemi. This groundwater area belongs to category 2E. There are no risk groundwater areas in Ruokolahti, except for the Vesioronkanga (class 1), which stretches from Imatra to Ruokolahti's Huhtansenkylä.