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# Tuike says work stopped as Finland requires Muhos water plan

> Finland's regulator says Tuike reported stopping site preparation at two data centers. It requires a Muhos water plan by November 5 and a drainage permit there.

By BIGCHANGE.AI Editorial

Published: 2026-10-24T16:09:38.805Z
Updated: 2026-10-24T16:09:38.805Z
Canonical: https://bigchange.ai/blog/tuike-muhos-water-plan-drainage-permit

![Conceptual charcoal illustration of clear water within a grassy earthen drainage channel, seen from a low angle.](https://bigchange.ai/api/media/file/finland-muhos-drainage-hero-v2.png)
AI-generated conceptual illustration by BIG CHANGE; no actual Muhos site or water measurement is depicted.

Finland's Supervisory Agency says Tuike Finland Oy reported stopping preparatory work at its planned Muhos and Kajaani-Otanmäki data center sites. The company gave that response on October 14, after the agency [asked it to suspend work that changes the sites](https://api.sttinfo.fi/tiedote/72390663/lupa-ja-valvontavirasto-kehottaa-tuike-finland-oyta-keskeyttamaan-muhoksen-ja-kajaanin-datakeskushankkeiden-valmistelutoimet?publisherId=69821631) while environmental impact assessments remain unfinished. The agency disclosed the response in an [October 22 update](https://api.sttinfo.fi/tiedote/72435808/lupa-ja-valvontavirasto-vaatii-tuike-finland-oylta-toimenpiteita?publisherId=69821631).

That update adds a distinct requirement at Muhos: a detailed water management plan, including independent monitoring, is due November 5. The agency also says the drainage work described in Tuike's notification requires a permit under Finland's Water Act. Its assessment raises concerns about acidic runoff and metals. It reports no measured harm to downstream waters.

## The big change

- **What changed:** The company told the regulator it had stopped preparation at both sites. At Muhos, the agency has moved from its earlier suspension request to specified water management and drainage permit requirements.
- **Why it matters:** The agency says extensive site preparation can narrow the options an environmental assessment examines. The Muhos plan must show where water management structures will go, when they will be built and how an independent party will monitor water.
- **What to watch:** November 5 is the deadline for that plan and for further information about any essential maintenance or environmental protection work at both sites. Kajaani's drainage notification is a separate decision. Muhos enforcement remains conditional on whether the required measures are taken.

## What the Muhos plan must address

The agency says the material Tuike submitted does not show with sufficient certainty that the proposed methods can prevent and manage the project's effects on waterways. It wants the November 5 plan to identify the structures to be used, their locations, a schedule for carrying out the measures and monitoring by an independent party. The plan must account for exceptional runoff during heavy rain and snowmelt, as well as the risks associated with black shale and soil that can generate acidity.

Tuike submitted its Muhos drainage notification on September 18. According to the agency's account of that notification, the project plans roughly nine kilometers of new ditches, most of which have already been completed. The agency says a drainage notification should have been made at least 60 days before work began. Because the area has no legally effective local detailed plan and the drainage falls under the Water Act, the agency concludes that the Muhos drainage measures need a permit under that law.

The agency says drainage and excavation in an area affected by black shale can expose sulfide-bearing soil to oxygen, increasing acidity and metal concentrations in water. It reports changes in monitoring results supplied by the company that indicate acidification. Those results, as described in the public notice, do not establish the extent of any effect on downstream waters. The agency considers Tuike's proposed liming and lime filtration barriers insufficient on their own to prevent acidic, metal-bearing runoff, and says there are uncertainties about the proposed surface runoff fields.

If the necessary measures are not taken, the agency says it will consider a Water Act administrative enforcement procedure that could require action under threat of a conditional fine. The notice does not say that such a fine has been imposed.

## The two sites remain separate cases

The agency asked Tuike for further information by November 5 about possible maintenance, safety and environmental protection measures at both Muhos and Kajaani-Otanmäki. It says it wants to check that such work is necessary and does not cause new environmental effects while the assessments continue. Kajaani's drainage notification, received September 29, is being handled separately; the Muhos permit conclusion should not be read as a decision on Kajaani.

The agency also says it has asked for information about the condition of a moor frog breeding and resting site at Muhos after work in the project area. It has made a confidential investigation request to police concerning Muhos, without disclosing details. Neither statement establishes an offence or its cause.

This is a [dated continuation of BIG CHANGE's report on the October 6 suspension request](https://bigchange.ai/blog/finland-google-data-centers-environmental-preparations). That request covered work such as tree and topsoil removal, excavation, drainage and construction of site roads, while excluding planning, measurements, soil studies and other minor, readily reversible measures. Google's [September Finland announcement](https://www.googlecloudpresscorner.com/2026-09-09-Google-Deepens-Commitment-to-Finland-with-Two-Year-EUR13-Billion-investment-in-AI-Infrastructure) describes planned infrastructure investment across four places. The regulator's actions concern the specified Tuike projects at Muhos and Kajaani-Otanmäki, not the whole investment program.

## Sources & further reading

- [Lupa- ja valvontavirasto, “Lupa- ja valvontavirasto vaatii Tuike Finland Oy:ltä toimenpiteitä”](https://api.sttinfo.fi/tiedote/72435808/lupa-ja-valvontavirasto-vaatii-tuike-finland-oylta-toimenpiteita?publisherId=69821631), October 22, 2026 (Finnish). The primary account of Tuike's reported response, the Muhos water and drainage requirements, the separate Kajaani process and the agency's stated evidence limits. The linked attachment was unavailable when checked, so this report relies on the public notice.
- [Lupa- ja valvontavirasto, “Lupa- ja valvontavirasto kehottaa Tuike Finland Oy:tä keskeyttämään Muhoksen ja Kajaanin datakeskushankkeiden valmistelutoimet”](https://api.sttinfo.fi/tiedote/72390663/lupa-ja-valvontavirasto-kehottaa-tuike-finland-oyta-keskeyttamaan-muhoksen-ja-kajaanin-datakeskushankkeiden-valmistelutoimet?publisherId=69821631), October 6, 2026 (Finnish). Establishes the scope of the original request and the unfinished impact assessments.
- [Google's Finland infrastructure announcement](https://www.googlecloudpresscorner.com/2026-09-09-Google-Deepens-Commitment-to-Finland-with-Two-Year-EUR13-Billion-investment-in-AI-Infrastructure), September 9, 2026. Google's stated plans across four Finnish locations; it does not establish environmental approval or completion of the planned investment.

## Sources

- [Lupa- ja valvontavirasto vaatii Tuike Finland Oy:ltä toimenpiteitä](https://api.sttinfo.fi/tiedote/72435808/lupa-ja-valvontavirasto-vaatii-tuike-finland-oylta-toimenpiteita?publisherId=69821631) — Primary agency update; reports company response and Muhos requirements. Linked PDF returned 404 and was not read.
- [Lupa- ja valvontavirasto kehottaa Tuike Finland Oy:tä keskeyttämään Muhoksen ja Kajaanin datakeskushankkeiden valmistelutoimet](https://api.sttinfo.fi/tiedote/72390663/lupa-ja-valvontavirasto-kehottaa-tuike-finland-oyta-keskeyttamaan-muhoksen-ja-kajaanin-datakeskushankkeiden-valmistelutoimet?publisherId=69821631) — Original request, qualified scope and environmental assessment context.
- [Google Finland infrastructure announcement](https://www.googlecloudpresscorner.com/2026-09-09-Google-Deepens-Commitment-to-Finland-with-Two-Year-EUR13-Billion-investment-in-AI-Infrastructure) — Company's own plans across four sites; not proof of approvals or completed investment.