Vienna (OTS) – Austria’s drinking water industry is well positioned, but we still face challenges. Climate change in particular has an impact on our water resources, even though the last few weeks in Austria have been very wet and the groundwater reserves are therefore well filled.
Water Minister Norbert Deadly and the Austrian Association for the Gas and Water Industry (ÖVGW) are using the TRINK’WATER DAY 2024 on Friday, June 14, 2024, as an opportunity to draw attention to the complexity of drinking water supply.
Austria’s drinking water supply is well equipped
„A reliable drinking water supply ensures prosperity and a high quality of life in our country. That’s why we’ve been promoting investments in regional water infrastructure for decades. Over the past 60 years, we have enabled the construction of drinking water supply systems worth 16 billion euros and built more than 80,000 km of drinking water pipes, which corresponds to a length twice around the globe. In addition, the federal government has 625 million euros available for urban water management over the next five years.
This means we create, secure and maintain around 9,400 jobs. The fact that the population in Austria is well supplied with first-class drinking water is also thanks to the excellent work of the water supply employees in our communities. What is particularly important to me is good, reliable information and involvement of the population, who need drinking water every day and should learn to value it
“, so Water Minister Norbert Totschnig on the occasion of Drinking Water Day 2024.
In order to be best prepared for future bottlenecks in the availability of water, the water minister presented the drinking water security plan last year and has already initiated the first measures. The annual commitment framework for promoting urban water management in accordance with the Environmental Promotion Act was increased to 100 million euros and supplemented by a further special tranche of 100 million euros until 2026. These measures are accompanied by a research call, improved forecast data and awareness-raising among the population about the careful use of the valuable resource water.
Drinking water supply – A major technical effort.
„In our daily conversations with customers, we as drinking water suppliers repeatedly notice that sensitivity when it comes to drinking water is very high
“, says ÖVGW President Wolfgang Nöstlinger. Around 2,000 water suppliers supply more than 80% of the population in Austria with high-quality drinking water every day. The pipeline network in Austria is around 81,000 kilometers long and is maintained and renewed by highly qualified specialist staff – around 3,000 water masters. The energy requirement for drinking water supply is very low (EEE study 2024), only 0.16% of Austria’s total electricity requirement is used for drinking water supply. “This is primarily because there is a high level of self-generated electricity through drinking water power plants and photovoltaic systems,” said the spokesman for the water supplier,” ÖVGW President Nöstlinger.
„The Austrian drinking water suppliers have coped excellently with the exceptional situation of dryness and drought in recent years – the supply of an average of 130 liters of high-quality drinking water per person has always been maintained
“, says ÖVGW President Nöstlinger.
The ÖVGW, together with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Regions and Water Management, commissioned studies in order to be able to offer drinking water suppliers an optimal basis for decision-making, for example how high the minimum amount of drinking water must be for private households in the respective supply area. This information is particularly important in the event of regional water shortages or other crises (e.g. blackouts).
A new study from 2024 (WAVE) clearly shows that there is no significant increase in water demand in households. It also showed that the trend towards working from home triggered by the pandemic does not have a significant impact on the average daily requirement for drinking water.
“There is currently little data on water requirements in outdoor areas. In particular, the developments of the pools need to be looked at more closely so that measures can be taken with regard to peak demand days. “The ÖVGW will therefore commission the creation of a pool study, as pools are responsible for peak demand,” says Nöstlinger.
Working 24 hours a day to provide drinking water
Sandra can also say that drinking water is very important to the population Akranidis-Knotzer, deputy director of the water pipeline association of the Triestingtal and Südbahn communities confirm. “We often hear from customers how good our Austrian drinking water is. However, many people are not aware of the extensive services required to provide the population with high-quality drinking water 24 hours a day, seven days a week
“, so Sandra Akranidis-Knotzer.
“The water masters know their system very well. The pipe networks are comparable to the bloodstream of a body. If the worst comes to the worst, the water masters know when, where and how they have to intervene to ensure that the drinking water runs smoothly. Many processes in drinking water supply are already digitalized, but it is important that people make the final decision. In cases of crisis, it is very important to have sufficient staff with qualified knowledge to be able to control the systems by hand,” explains Sandra Akranidis-Knotzer.
„Being a water master is not just a job. It is a highly qualified activity with meaning and sustainability and for the benefit of the population. The success of this committed work is the trust of the population. The population trusts their water masters to ensure that the best drinking water comes out of the taps at all times
“, so Sandra Akranidis-Knotzerdeputy director of the water pipeline association of the Triestingtal and Südbahn communities.
DRINK’WATER DAY 2024
The Austrian DRINK’WATER DAY will take place on Friday, June 14, 2024. In everyday life, drinking water is often taken for granted. The Austrian Association for the Gas and Water Industry (ÖVGW) initiated the DRINK’WATER DAY to show the services that are necessary so that drinking water can flow out of the tap “just like that”. The Austrian TRINK’WASSERTAG offers the unique opportunity to take a look behind the scenes of water supply. The primary aim is to highlight the value of Austrian drinking water and to promote conscious use of water.
You can find events related to DRINK’WATER DAY 2024 on unsertrinkwasser.at
The ÖVGW
The Austrian Association for the Gas and Water Industry (ÖVGW) is the only, independent and voluntary interest group for Austrian drinking water suppliers. Through cooperation with regional associations, the ÖVGW represents more than 2,000 water suppliers. Austrian drinking water is obtained 100% from groundwater and spring water, most of which does not need to be treated. For the ÖVGW, the focus is therefore on protecting groundwater and securely supplying the population with natural, high-quality drinking water in times of climate change.
Water masters are trained in special ÖVGW courses. The training includes, among other things, intensive training in topics such as standards and guidelines, water distribution, water hygiene, water treatment, construction projects, etc. The certificate acquired must be renewed every 5 years. The water masters are obliged to undergo regular training and to be up to date with the latest technology. The ÖVGW offers an extensive training and further education program for this purpose.
Questions & Contact:
Mag. Georg Amschl
Public relations ÖVGW
ÖVGW – Austrian Association for the Gas and Water Industry
1010 Vienna, Schubertring 14
Mobil +43 664 88 10 00 47
amschl@ovgw.at
www.ovgw.at | www.unsertrinkwasser.at