Blog #124: Let’s enjoy the Vienna Wasserfest |
| June 15, 2023 Monika Weber-Fahr |
| We all enjoy it - the wonderful water that comes from the tabs here in Vienna, clean and so very drinkable. But did we also know that it is good enough - all across Austria - for the country to celebrate National Trinkwassertag or Drinking Water Day? Arranged and hosted by water utilities all across the country, the third Friday of June is the day of days, tomorrow, June 16th. In many towns and villages, there are info events and activities inviting citizens - in particular but not limited to kids - to enjoy and have fun with but also to learn about drinking water, how precious it is, and what we can do to preserve it. |
| Here in Vienna, celebrations take place as part of the Wiener Wasserfest, and lots of action is scheduled around the Wasserturm in Favoriten, from 9 am till 6pm. The Wasserturm is a beautiful and historic building, built in 1898 to provide the higher-up areas of the 10th and 12th district with drinking water until the Vienna Hochquellenleitung - bringing water from the mountains - took over that task. The Wasserfest offers the opportunity to not only visit the Wasserturm and get a (free) guided tour, but also to enjoy the Wasserspielplatz or Water Playground right in front of the tower, to take a quiz about drinking water, to learn from the Youth Firebrigade how to splash water in a useful way, and to meet the people who work on bringing drinking water to our homes, 24/7, safely and reliably. |
 Foto:Tomorrow, June 16, you can join in celebrating the Vienna Water Festival – behind the Vienna Wasserturm – and learn more about drinking water in Austria and what we can do to preserve it. |
| If the Wasserfest got you curious, there are more options for you to learn about our drinking water in Austria and how it is kept safe also in the future. There is an excellent website - UnserTrinkwasser.at - that offers updated information on quantity and quality of water used, on safety and security, and on its origins. In Austria, unlike many other countries, 100% of drinking water comes from underground resources, commonly considered the safest and highest quality water. For further reading, I recommend the government’s Wasserschatz Study, published in 2021; a few months ago, it came out in English under the title Austria’s Water Treasure. It looks at groundwater availability through 2050 and finds that groundwater resources - due to climate change and other shifts - are likely to go down by around 23% in the next 30 years while water needs are likely to grow by about 10-15%, mainly due to population growth. The report also lays out measures that communities and cities need to take to address these developments - such as building reservoirs and becoming more efficient in the use of water. A nationwide discussion forum - the Wasser Plattform - has been established last year to involve everyone relevant in dialogue and planning. Worthwhile following this and seeing where we all can contribute. |
| In the meantime, let’s enjoy the water we have, learn about where it comes from, and celebrate the Wiener Wassertag. |
| Feeling inspired? Want to contribute? Remark on or question something? Please send thoughts about or suggestions for the Living Light Blog to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. |
