The flood disaster of 1997, causing € 36 million in damage, finally made it more than clear that modern flood protection measures were badly needed. A new facility shall now ensure high-quality flood protection for the region. The inaugural ceremony in early September was opened by Environment Minister Josef Pröll and attended by distinguished regional guests and local students. Throughout the building project, which started in 1998 and was carried out in several stages, great care was taken to assure that all ecological requirements formulated in the EU Water Framework Directive are scrupulously observed.
Also included in the flood protection programme was the restructure of the existing small hydropower plant for increased energy efficiency and ecological compatibility. After the turn of the first spade of earth in August 2005, the project was finally completed this summer.
(Source: aqua press Int. 3/2006)
