Drinking Water Treatment

Austria provides clean water all over the world with best available technology

The basic environmental policy objective of the EU is to secure water and water resoucres for humans, animals and plants in the required quantity and quality. The water legislation of the EU, in particular the Water Framework Directive, creates the legal framework for the sustainable use of the waters. Priority areas in this context are above all the policy on water scarcity and drought as well as the adaptation to the effects of climate change.

Domestic companies generate some 300 million euros annually in the water technology sector. A large portion of this is attributable to drinking water treatment, followed by water purification systems and drinking water supply. The water management companies employ about 2,000 people.

Austrian technology for the treatment of waste water and the treatment of drinking water can be found across the borders of the EU on all continents. In Malysia, for example, the world's largest water treamtment plant was built in 2012, with a capacity of 600,000 m3 of water per day and for 1.2 million people.

In contrast to many other countries, Austria covers its drinking water requirements entirely from protected groundwater resources. It usually reaches the consumers in a natural state and with excellent quality. In Austria about 90% of the population, that is, 7.44 million inhabitants, is covered by the central water supply systems; The length of the network used is about 77,300 km. The remaining approximately 10% of the population are drinking their own drinking water via their own fountains.

Approximately 5,500 water supply companies (municipal facilities, water associations, cooperatives) provide the population with high quality drinking water, which meets the strict legal requirements.