Electricity, water, sewerage and structures at events

Electricity

Most events require electricity on site. When booking a venue for an event, check the availability of electricity with the lessor of the venue; this is particularly important in the case of outdoor events.

Most marketplaces and parks owned by the city feature electrical outlets that are available to the event organiser. Direct any queries regarding the use of electrical outlets to the lessor of the venue in the first place. Should electricity not be available or if the number of outlets is insufficient, contact the customer service team of the local power company Tampereen Sähköverkko Oy for available options and a schedule for arranging a temporary mains connection. In particularly difficult conditions, you can also consider using a generator instead of or in addition to a temporary mains connection.

Draft a list of all the operations and activities at your event that require electricity. This will help the experts to estimate your electricity needs and supply enough electricity for your event. A temporary mains connection must be ordered at least two weeks before the connection is required. Ordering it at a shorter notice will result in additional costs.

Pay extra attention to electrical safety at outdoor events. Electrical devices must be protected against rain and vandalism. Keep the cables away from walkways and driveways and cover them with cable protectors, if necessary. All electrical installations must be carried out by a qualified electrician.

Water

If food or alcohol are served at your event, the venue must have a water supply. You may also want to consider selling or serving water for free especially at sports events and on hot summer days.

You should contact the lessor of the venue to check the availability of a water connection. Some of the public areas owned by the city do not have a water connection; while most of the marketplaces do feature a water connection, many parks do not. Always agree upon the use of water connections in marketplaces with their respective supervisors. Where a water connection is not available, water must be supplied in a tank, for instance, available from Tampereen Vesi and other companies. More information about providing drinking water in an event can be found from the Licences, permits and plans section of the event planning guide.

Sewerage

If waste water is generated at the event, it needs to be directed to the sewage network or otherwise be properly treated. Water that goes into storm sewers travels directly to bodies of water without being treated.

Temporary connections can be made to main sewage manholes that run through parks. Clean water, stormwater, and groundwater (including water from tent weights or similar containers) should not be directed into the sewer network. Instead, these types of water should be directed to the stormwater drainage network, ensuring that no loose soil or debris enters the network.

Connection to the main sewage manholes should be done through a manhole cover with an opening for the sewer pipe. The manhole being used for connection should be fenced off, and the cover should be either cast iron or metal.  To prevent the metal cover from being opened unauthorized, a concrete block must be placed on top of it. The high water flow in main sewage manholes is life-threatening, and anyone falling in must be prevented.  Event organizers are responsible for obtaining and properly installing the manhole cover used for the connection.

After use, the original cover and intermediate cover should be returned to their original positions. Manholes are protected by a thin layer of soil, which must be restored after use as well.

For any additional questions, you can contact Tampere Water.

Structures

Various kinds of structures, such as stages, tents, canopies, fences, toilets, benches and tables are needed at events. These types of structures can be rented from various companies in Tampere Region.

A notification of temporary structures

The city building control unit must be notified about temporary structures at events if:

• The structure has more than one level or people on the structure are over 2 metres off the ground.
• You are using a tent that holds more than 300 people
• Temporary structures will be up for a month or more

Securing tents and other structures

The structures must be stable enough to withstand such sudden occurrences as a heavy thunderstorm. Even though the supplier of the stage structures assembles the stage, the event organizer is responsible for making sure that all structures are stable. In the case of major events and other events with lots of structures, the approval of the structures by the building inspection authorities is required. More information on event safety and securing structures in the links below.