Salzburg firefighters continue delivering water to farms

Salzburg firefighters are continuing to supply water to farms, especially those at higher elevations, according to ORF. Rain over the weekend eased the situation slightly, but some farms still depend on supply trips by emergency crews.

In Bischofshofen, farms at elevations of up to 1,200 metres rely on the local fire brigade. Hartmut Wetteskind of the Bischofshofen fire brigade said crews had made more than 70 trips this season and delivered nearly 800,000 litres of water from spring through the summer so far.

The recent period of bad weather eased conditions only marginally, Salzburg state fire chief Günter Trinker said. “We would need the typical Salzburg steady rain, several days when the water comes slowly and can then seep in properly to replenish the springs,” he said.

In addition to the dry summer, the low-precipitation winter pushed farms’ water reserves in the state of Salzburg to their limits.