Water as a Resource
Water is a valuable asset whose importance is steadily increasing. It is an irreplaceable resource, particularly as drinking water, but also essential for agriculture, industry, commerce and tourism.
Adequate water availability is crucial for society and has significant relevance in many areas, such as drinking water supply and hydropower, which is Austria´s primary source of renewable electricity production. Thanks to abundant rainfall and favourable geological conditions, Austria has plentiful water resources, although they are unevenly distributed across regions. The Northern Limestone Alps are among the areas with the richest water reserves, while the driest region is the Weinviertel in Lower Austria. In Austria, drinking water is sourced almost exclusively from groundwater, and a large portion of the water for agriculture and industry comes from groundwater.
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The Subersach stream Vorarlberg) in winter. As part of the base flow measurement. © GeoSphere Austria/Elster.
GeoSphere Austria provides extensive and detailed information on water resources in Austria, contributing significantly to ensuring that sufficient water of high quality is available to the entire population.
Large groundwater reserves are located in the major basin landscapes of the lowlands, where they are used for irrigation in agriculture. The Marchfeld, southern Vienna Basin (Mitterndorfer Senke), Welser Heide and other regions are sedimentary basins that benefit from shallow groundwater reserves within extensive gravel deposits along major rivers. Regions with subsurfaces made up of crystalline rocks like gneiss or granite or of clay and marl generally have limited groundwater resources. This includes the Waldviertel region with the Bohemian Massif in northern Austria, large areas of the Central Alps and the Flysch Zone in the northern Alpine foothills.
GeoSphere Austria offers thematic maps and additional information on the quantity and quality of drinkable deep groundwater resources, radionuclides in groundwater, thermal water and mineral water. Here, Austria´s diverse geological structure plays a decisive role in groundwater type. The water dissolves minerals from the rocks it passes through, reflecting the geological conditions of the area. The longer the contact between rock and water, the stronger this geological imprint becomes. Depending on depth, water warms to varying degrees, triggering additional chemical processes that give rise to different types of thermal and mineral water.
Interesting facts about thermal and mineral water in Austria
Since ancient times, Austria´s thermal and mineral waters have been renowned for their unique characteristics, such as scent, taste, temperature and effects. These qualities make these waters valuable today, both as drinking water and for therapeutic and wellness applications. The waters reflect the regional geology, as seen in the so-called “Haselgebirge” formations – salt- and gypsum-bearing deposits within the Northern Limestone Alps – that correlate with highly saline mineral waters. Acidic waters are often found in geological fault zones where rising carbon dioxide to the subsurface is prevalent.
Austria generates a substantial portion of its electricity needs through hydropower, mainly from power plants using reservoirs, streams, creeks and drinking water pipelines for energy production. The city of Vienna, for example, generates as much electricity from power plants along drinking water pipelines as the city of St. Pölten consumes.
GeoSphere Austria collects local, regional, and national data on the occurrence and location of groundwater, springs, thermal water and mineral water, presenting this information in digital maps. Groundwater in wells and boreholes is examined to gain insight into this essential resource. Using geophysical investigation methods, such as geo-electrics, groundwater resources can be characterised and yield confirmed through pump tests.
The studies conducted by GeoSphere Austria primarily support national authorities in water management and public health to fulfil their governmental mandates (such as the Water Rights Act, Water Condition Monitoring Regulation, Water Cycle Survey Regulation, Mineral Water and Spring Water Ordinance, Drinking Water Ordinance and health resort laws of the federal states). Water suppliers and civil engineering firms also use this information as the basis for their services.
Sampling of the Bad Rothenbrunnen spring (Vorarlberg). © GeoSphere Austria/Hobiger.
Thermal water spring Maibachl near Villach (Carinthia) after snowmelt. © GeoSphere Austria/Elster.
The tapped thermal water spring "Wasserfallquelle" next to the Gasteiner Ache (Bad Gastein). © GeoSphere Austria/Elster.
Information on the distribution and characteristics of groundwater resources provides the basis for usage planning and groundwater protection. GeoSphere Austria offers hydrogeological maps that provide both geological information on rock types and groundwater resources. Due to Austria´s diverse geological landscapes, water availability varies greatly. The Northern Limestone Alps, where rainwater can percolate into the mountains, host the most abundant water resources with many large springs. In contrast, the Waldviertel region, with its crystalline baserock that poorly absorbs water, has limited groundwater. In such areas, knowledge of local groundwater resources is essential for creating household wells to secure water supply. The cities of Innsbruck and Vienna, for instance, source their drinking water from springs in the Northern Limestone Alps, which is transported hundreds of kilometres via aqueducts to households.