Swiss water supplies tighten as heat drives demand

Saving drinking water is advisable across Switzerland as many water suppliers face limited resources, SRF reported on Friday. Christos Bräunle, a spokesman for the Swiss Association of Water, Gas and Heat Professionals, said the situation varied considerably by region.

Mountain regions could face particularly serious shortages, while communities and cities that draw drinking water from lakes were less affected. In some areas, drought has reduced spring water supplies, while summer consumption is rising.

Even where enough water remains available, local suppliers can reach their limits and be unable to extract, store and distribute enough to meet peak demand. Demand can also rise when farms are banned from taking water from rivers and instead need drinking water. According to Bräunle, many municipalities are currently buying water from neighbouring communities to cover peak consumption.

At least 151 municipalities have restricted water use this summer, although the rules vary significantly from one place to another.

“It is definitely sensible to actively save drinking water in general,” Bräunle said. This was particularly important when local water suppliers explicitly asked residents to reduce consumption, he added. It was also prudent because it was not known when weather conditions would change.

Where households can save water

A person uses around 142 litres of drinking water per day at home. About 30 percent is used for flushing toilets and roughly 25 percent for showering.

Reducing a 15 minute shower to five minutes could make a noticeable difference, Bräunle said. Other useful measures include turning off the tap while brushing teeth, shaving and applying soap; taking short showers instead of baths; using water saving inserts or flow regulators; and using the small flush button on the toilet.

Dripping taps and leaking toilet cisterns should be repaired. Where possible, rainwater can be used to flush toilets. Washing machines and dishwashers should only be run when full, with eco programmes used and pre rinsing avoided. Fruit and vegetables can be washed in a bowl, with the water then used to water plants.

In gardens, residents can collect rainwater, water only the plants’ root areas and do so early in the morning or in the evening, when less water evaporates. Drip hoses use less water than sprinklers. Lawns should not be cut too short because shorter grass dries out faster, while flower meadows need less water than lawns.

When water must be conserved, Bräunle said people should first stop activities that can be avoided, such as washing cars and filling pools, and reduce private garden watering to a minimum.

Why some water still needs to flow

After a long absence, however, residents should let the tap run until the water that has stood in the pipes is replaced by fresh drinking water. Stagnant water can encourage the growth of germs, Bräunle said.

Water suppliers also need a certain amount of flow. This is one reason public fountains may continue running even when residents are being asked to save water. “We do not have to hold back every drop at any cost,” Bräunle said. The key was to save water when it was locally necessary, while always treating drinking water as a valuable, high quality food.