Veltheim shuts village fountains after water is hauled away

Veltheim in the Swiss canton of Aargau will shut all its village fountains from Monday after large quantities of water were taken away, SRF reported. The only fountain that will continue running is the one beside a shop in the village centre.

The municipality said water had recently been transported away in large barrels, in some cases with submersible pumps. “That is not acceptable,” it wrote in its newsletter.

Veltheim said water from the village fountains must not be used for commercial purposes or for larger private withdrawals.

Municipalities or water associations are responsible for water taken from public fountains. Michael Widmer, president of the Association of Aargau Municipal Clerks and municipal clerk in Frick, said such use was not regulated in most municipalities, partly for historical reasons. In the past, fountains had been essential to the public water supply.

Widmer said the limits were decided by each municipality. Pumping a fountain empty or filling large barrels could anger residents because it gave someone an unfair free advantage. At the same time, he said it generally made sense for residents to use fountain water, which was mostly of drinking-water quality. Depending on the municipality, unused water otherwise flows into a sewage treatment plant or is diverted into a nearby stream or river.

In Frick, the local beautification association uses fountain water to irrigate floral displays. The city of Baden, meanwhile, said its public fountains would continue running. It said the continuous flow helped flush the water network regularly and contributed to a more pleasant urban climate.