Silvola reservoir, Artificial lake in Ylästö, Finland
The Silvola reservoir is an artificial lake in Ylästö, on the northern edge of Helsinki, used to store water before it is treated and distributed as drinking water across the Greater Helsinki area. The water reaches the lake through a long underground tunnel that starts at Lake Päijänne, far to the north.
The reservoir was built in the early 1980s to store water arriving from the Päijänne Water Tunnel, which had just been completed after years of construction. Before this system existed, the Helsinki region depended on local water sources that were not always reliable enough to meet demand.
The paths around the reservoir are used by walkers and nature lovers who come for a quiet outing close to the city. The water and the green surroundings give the area a different feel from the rest of the urban edge of Helsinki.
The area around the reservoir has walking paths that follow the shoreline and offer open views of the water. Some sections are off limits to the public since the site is part of the city's water supply network, so it is worth checking which access points are open before visiting.
The tunnel that brings water here from Lake Päijänne runs for about 75 miles (120 kilometers), making it one of the longest water tunnels in the world. Most of that distance is carved through bedrock, and the water flows largely by gravity rather than being pumped.
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