Austria must replace half its water pipes by 2050

Austria will need to renew around half of its water pipes by 2050, according to a study by the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna, reported by ORF. The work is expected to put pressure on public finances and raise water prices.

Roman Neunteufel of the university modelled the renewal needs using estimates from water suppliers on how long pipes last. He presented the results on Wednesday at the annual meeting of Austria’s drinking water suppliers at Lakeside Park in Klagenfurt.

Many of the country’s water pipes were laid in the 1950s and 1960s. Neunteufel said the model indicates that about half of the networks currently in operation should be renewed by 2050.

Pipe bursts mean old lines often require costly repairs, while water is also lost continuously. The average loss is currently about 10 percent, which Neunteufel said was normal for technical systems that remain underground for decades. Eliminating losses entirely would require replacing networks every 20 years, which he said would be unaffordable.

Neunteufel said drinking water would have to become more expensive, although water currently accounts for a small share of household budgets. He said people should become more aware that life is not possible without water.