Antonia Groh
Vienna Water Supply
Originally the people of Vienna were supplied with water via groundwater fountains which were found in one’s back yard or close by. Yet as the quality of the groundwater started to become increasingly worse, as it was starting to be highly infectious and unsanitary, partly causing epidemics, a solution. was needed. Hence the idea of water pipes came into view. The first ever Viennese water pipeline was built around the year of 1803, sourcing fresh spring water from Hütteldorf and transporting it into Vienna. This pipeline was named ‘Albertine’. (footnote:”Hochquellenleitung – Geschichte.” Stadt Wien. February 01, 2017. Accessed October 8, 2017. )However, this particular line was not built in a manner in which it could supply all of Vienna with fresh water. Hence so, another Viennese Pipeline was built named ‘Kaiser-Ferdinands-wasserleitung’ (footnote:”Hochquellenleitung – Geschichte.” Stadt Wien. February 01, 2017. Accessed October 8, 2017. ). During this time the Pipeline was the first of its kind and pioneered the way of which Vienna was supplied with drinking water, as, thanks to this method, the water was of much better drinking quality. Yet the pipeline still sourced water from the Donau, which even though the water was filtered and hence less harmful than the original groundwater, it still was not of impeccable drinking quality. In order to fix this issue and come up with another solution, a competition was held for engineers of domestic as well as foreign descend, in which they were asked to submit project and plans on how to maybe better the water supply of the city. Some of these included ideas, such as extracting water from outside the city, such as St. Pölten and other parts of Austria, into Vienna. Eduard Suess and Carl Junker were the ones who’s construction idea finally became reality. The construction of their plan of the first Viennese spring water pipeline was completed only three years after its first installation and finally opened in 1873, on the 24th of October. The way it works is that fresh spring water, taken from sources such as the Rax and Schneeberg (footnote- “Wasserleitungswanderweg.” Stadt Wien. April 24, 2012. Accessed October 8, 2017.) is directly transported via the Mountain Pipeline into Vienna. As time passed, due to the rapid development and ever-growing demand of water, the amount of water supplied by the pipeline was no longer satisfactory by itself. Hence, another Viennese spring-water pipeline was built under the ruling of Mayor Karl Lueger in 1910, which supplies Vienna with water until this day, so every time someone drinks the tap water out of the tap in Vienna, this person is drinking water that has crossed the Mountain spring water line, installed so many years ago, it is almost like drinking a piece of history.
Hence now knowing this information about the water of Vienna, I am definitely more grateful for the fine quality it has to this day, and that the people of Vienna no longer have to harvest their water from diseased fountains. Yet it also made me think about whether, due to global warming, one of the spring water wells will one day seize to exist. However, I am rather certain the system would still work, even if it would have to be undertaken some adjustments, either way, this research has taught me how ephemeral impeccable drinking water quality can be and how lucky I am, as a Viennese citizen, to have tap water that is of such pristine drinking quality.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Egghardt Hanne. “THE WATER OF VIENNA / Wiener Wasser.” Accessed October 8, 2017
Konigl. H. “Das Wasser In Und Um Wien: Rucksichtlich Seiner Eignung Zum Trinken Und Zu Anderen Hauslichen Zwecken” Accessed October 8, 2017.
“”Universum” Wiener Wasser (TV Episode).” Accessed October 7, 2017.
“Hochquellenleitung – Geschichte.” Stadt Wien. February 01, 2017. Accessed October 8, 2017. https://www.wien.gv.at/wienwasser/versorgung/geschichte/hochquellenleitung2.html.
“Wasserleitungswanderweg.” Stadt Wien. April 24, 2012. Accessed October 8, 2017.
“Rohrnetz – Verteilung des Wassers in Wien.” Zur Startseite der Stadt Wien. November 11, 2015. Accessed October 8, 2017. https://www.wien.gv.at/wienwasser/versorgung/rohrnetz/.
