Hidden leaks worsened water shortages in Zwettl

Two long-undetected pipe breaks caused tens of thousands of litres of water to seep into the ground each day in Zwettl an der Rodl, worsening a shortage that led to overnight supply cuts, ORF reports. The leaks have since been provisionally repaired.

At the end of September, the municipality in the Urfahr-Umgebung district shut off its water supply for three hours overnight to allow its storage reservoirs to refill. Water warden Berthold Hamberger said drought and a broken water pipe had contributed to the shortage, with losses of 30,000 to 40,000 litres a day.

The shutdowns ended three days before the report. Hamberger said the water flow was now sufficient and the reservoirs were full, allowing supply to return to normal.

Mayor Roland Maureder said the pipe breaks had eased the situation and there was now a slight surplus, with more water flowing in than being used. However, he said water conservation remained necessary because the springs were producing considerably less water than usual for this time of year.

Maureder said the municipality had not known about the damaged pipes when it imposed the shutdowns. The water shortage also prompted political criticism: the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) said residents had been informed through social media but not by official notice. SPÖ representative Herbert Enzenhofer said people who did not use social media, including older residents, also needed regular updates.

The Upper Austrian Water Cooperative Association says an average of five to 10 per cent of drinking water is lost through leaks. It recommends leak tests every three to five years. A leak releasing one litre per second can waste more than 31 million litres annually, equivalent to about 1,000 filled swimming pools.