A Viennese company filters medication residues from wastewater. An educational project makes climate change tangible for Austrian and Slovenian young people and a river renaturation project in Upper Austria serves as a model for further initiatives.
On March 20, 2025 Water Minister Norbert Tettschnig the best water projects. “The Neptune State Prize for Water combines innovation, education and culture and power visible what distinguishes Austria worldwide: excellent water technology, a strong regional commitment and lived appreciation for our most precious estate,” so opened Water Minister Norbert Tettschnig The solemn Neptun award ceremony last night. “The excellent projects impressively show how committed experts, school classes, municipalities as well as citizens and citizens contribute to the protection of our water resources. And the abundance of submissions speaks for themselves, with over 700 projects from 25 countries we are recording a new record with an increase of 200 submissions. The excellent projects are important impulses for a sustainable future and underline in Austria Water innovation and appreciation for water, “so Homicide.
At the invitation of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Regions and Water Management (BML), the Austrian Water and Waste Management Association (ÖWAV) and the Austrian Association for the Gas and Water Sach (ÖVGW), around 250 guests from politics, water management and municipal administration in Vienna were on site to honor the best water projects from Austria in five categories.
20 award -winning water projects were awarded
A total of 12 winning projects were awarded this year from over 700 submissions, 9 in the specialist categories and 3 in Vienna, as well as another 8 national winners by specialist juries and the audience voting.
Two nominated projects were particularly happy. The project of the Styria’s environmental education center “Let’s Flow Together!” Created with Austrian and Slovenian students as part of the 1st day of action at the Mur in June 2024, more awareness of climate change adjustments and was able to look forward to the audience award and thus the coveted Neptune trophy.
As one of the most regulated waters in Austria, Aschach in the market town of Waizenkirchen (Upper Austria) was transformed into a natural river course with a comprehensive renaturation project. The municipality was awarded as a federal winner in the water regional category. Both projects received prize money of 3,000 euros.
The product innovation Donau Pac © Aquaclear from Donau Chemie AG shows how medication residues, cosmetics and pesticides can be filtered out of the wastewater and thus better protected living things in water and thus achieved first place in the water research.
For the artistic examination of the topic of water, the Wave Klaenge Festival from Lunz am See was awarded first place in the water creative category. The festival has been researching the tonal world under water for years and makes it tangible with musical performances and workshops.
Marius Holzapfel won the victory in the regional photo and video competition Wasserwien with his picture “Bees as thirsty as elephants in the central cemetery”. Further documents were awarded on 8 projects from 6 federal states.
You can find more information about all the excellent winning projects in the supplement and at: https://transfer.tatwort.at/index.php/s/w8r8X1bmcTTbavZ
The 14th award ceremony for the Neptune State Prize for Water took place on March 20, 2025. The Neptune State Prize for Water is supported by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Regions and Water Management (BML), the Austrian Association for the Gas and Water Sach (ÖVGW), the Austrian Water and Waste Management Association (ÖWAV) and all federal states. Sponsors take over sponsorships for the individual categories: the city of Vienna – Wiener Wasser, the municipal loan Public Consulting and Verbund AG.