Greenpeace finds record-low groundwater at nine Styrian stations

Groundwater levels have fallen to record lows at nine monitoring stations in Styria, according to a Greenpeace analysis of 227 stations across Austria reported by ORF.

At nine of Styria’s 34 stations, levels are lower than at any point in the recorded measurement period. The stations are in Kroisbach, Kaindorf, Neustift, Blumau, Kellerdorf, Unterkarla, Gröbming, Admont and Gussendorf.

Upper Austria has eight stations at record lows, followed by Lower Austria with seven. Vienna and Carinthia are the only states with no station at such a low.

Greenpeace said every month so far this year except February had received far too little precipitation, while groundwater continued to be used without restraint.

The environmental group is calling for a register to make industrial water use transparent, a levy of 10 cents per cubic metre for large industrial groundwater users, and a nationwide water strategy with a plan to secure drinking water. Greenpeace said industry and agriculture have high water needs but are not accounted for in the federal government’s current plans.