“The present draft aims primarily to solve the transnational issues. In addition, they shall lead to a combined approach between emission – the fight against the causes of pollution – and immission – the water quality”, knows the head of the waterworks. The addressees of the Directive are the individual member states of the European Union, however, it only becomes directly relevant for water suppliers after its translation into national law.

Vienna is supplied to 95 % with spring water coming from the mountains Schneeberg, Rax, Schneealpe and Hochschwab. The remaining 5 % are covered by other water resources, i.e. the groundwater treatment works of the Lobau or the Wientalwasserwerke. “Thus, sustainable use of these areas from the viewpoint of water supply of the federal capital is therefore a focal element”, explains Sailer.

The catchments of the Vienna spring water supply are facing various demands, since other options of use, too, are laid down by law and are socially necessary. Thus, forestry, the maintenance of biodiversity, tourism, agriculture, hunting and the needs of the resident population are other important ways to use the natural headwater regions.

The ordinances concerning water protection and reserves are designed to secure sustainable area use in view of water use. For this purpose, permanent examinations in the fields of hydrology, hygiene, water law and also agriculture and forestry are necessary. The exact data and connection in the headwater region in view of the total sediment feeder systems, drainage, precipitation, evaporation, utilisation and groundwater dynamics are presently examined in an interdisciplinary research programme using the latest methods. In co-operation with the Forestry Office, the Vienna Waterworks are implementing measures and strategies that shall guarantee a sustainable protection of the Vienna water supply in this respect.

This shall include:

• collection and disposal of effluents and waste from huts,
  
• support for the construction waste water sewerage
  
• regular control of the observance of the ordinance on protected areas and preserves
• priority for nature-near forestry management with mixed forests and permanent forms of planting, and nature-near hunting practices, and
  
• promotion of “soft tourism” by creation and maintenance of site-specific paths and accommodation in co-operation with the local political bodies.

“Thus, in our micro-cosmos of water supply of the federal capital of Vienna the major part of the aims of the Water Framework Directive has already been recognised and implemented”, confirms Sailer. “This scheme of supplying the population could also serve as a good example for a comprehensive approach to the subjects water protection and water supply”, continues the expert.

An important aspect of the Water Framework Directive is the requirement that water use has to be cost-effective. “Water use is defined as the generation, distribution and consumption of surface and ground water and the emission of pollutants”, explains Sailer. “Cost-effectiveness has been softened to a large extent in the present draft, since implementation is able to take into account social and economic impacts as well as impacts on the environment and on geographical and climatic conditions of the regions concerned, and this is leaving the door open to a wide range of interpretations”, is Sailer convinced.

In Austria, too, the principle of “cost-effectiveness” for generation and distribution of drinking water – for example with respect to depreciation, return, or provisions – is handled in different ways. “This is also the reason why we have different drinking water prices between ATS 5,– and ATS 20,–/m3 in Austria” says Sailer. “The ordinance of cost-effectiveness originally drafted by the Commission was also transformed into a permissive provision. Although the definition of water use includes all water users – public supply, waste water treatment, industry and agriculture – the tendency is there that public water supply could serve as the main financial source for all the measures required by the Water Framework Directive”, concludes Sailer.

Aqua Press International-Interview (05/1999) with Dipl.-Ing. Hans Sailer , Head of the Vienna Waterworks