With the 10-point program “Future Flood Protection 2024+”, the Federal Ministry announced ambitious measures for flood prevention at the end of May 2025. However, a long -term solution from Lower Austria is left out: an early warning system for floods, the emergency services and the population up to Three hours of time lead can be braked by bureaucratic hurdles.
“Municipalities want our solution – but they cannot”
says Stefan Pfeffer, managing director of WSI Systems GmbH. The company, based in Ruprechtshofen (Lower Austria), emerged as a spin-off from Microtronics Engineering GmbH in early 2025 and offers wasserstand.info A digital solution that has been successful in several communities for over a decade. The catch: “State funding only covers structural measures – digital systems such as our falls through the rust.”
This is also confirmed by the chairman of the Sierningbach Water Association Ronald Muhr: “I see access to modern early warning systems inevitable in order to protect the population in this region from further flood disasters. Something has to be done and we are dependent on support. Unfortunately, we are currently not available to sustainable funding, although the protection of the population should have the highest priority.”
Effective provision needs digital tools – and suitable funding logic
Pfeffer appeals to those responsible in the federal and state governments: “If you are serious about digital prevention, you also have to modernize the funding landscape.”
The flood in 2024 has shown that the existing static level indicators urgently need to be supplemented in order to obtain vital, comprehensive information in real time. The system wasserstand.info Complements the existing state measurement networks in a completely new way: self-sufficient, weatherproof sensors continuously monitor the water levels and the groundwater, soil and hillow moisture at neuralgic points. They provide data to small regional floods, which often pose the greatest danger. A AI-based analysis links these real-time data with precipitation and weather forecasts.
In an emergency, the Automatic alarms of the emergency services – and in the second step of the citizens concerned: inside via SMS. The time advantage obtained can save lives and offer massive damage prevention.
“Digital systems for flooding warning are a real gamuchanger for us as a fire brigade – and long overdue. We finally need a reliable solution to be able to react in time. Three hours of a lead can make the difference between protection and destruction. The consideration of entire catchment areas is particularly important – this is the only way we receive a comprehensive position and can take measures at an early stage”
emphasizes the district fire brigade commander of Gänserndorf, OBR Georg Schicker.
Economic perspective: billions can be saved through prevention
The economic dimension of flood damage is enormous. Loud WISO indicators Most recently caused over 1.3 billion euros in damage – and that without taking into account the infrastructure damage. Realistically speaking, a claim of damage is to be assumed in double height. However, studies show that through targeted early warning measures such as wasserstand.info In individual cases, damage reduction of 50 to 100 percent can be achieved – such as the timely removal of vehicles from underground garages or securing valuable objects. In this way, systems such as WSI not only make a decisive contribution to the safety of the population and emergency services, but also relieve the state budget in the long term. An Austrian rollout of the system would only cost a fraction of the flood damage from 2024 in Lower Austria – and would have paid off several times the first time it was used. The investment in nationwide, data -based early warning systems is therefore also calculated from an economic perspective – and that is sustainable.
Technology from Austria – for Austria
The system was developed completely in Austria and does not require critical components from abroad. It is ready to use, scalable and more current than ever given the increasing extreme weather events.
This is also confirmed by Mayor Leopold Gruber-Doberer from Ruprechtshofen: “It makes us proud that this digital early warning system in Ruprechtshofen has been developed – and we have been using it for over a decade. In times of increasing heavy rain events, we make an important contribution to the security of our region. The system provides our emergency services the necessary time advantage before the water comes – and thus protects the population and our communities.”
Capital for expansion is ready – only the political will is missing
At the beginning of 2025, WSI Systems GmbH won an investor consortium from Salzburg that provided fresh growth capital. The technology is ready for use and the demand from the communities is high.
We are ready to go. The politics too?