![Wasserschloss in Kaiserbrunn](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/Wasserschloss_in_Kaiserbrunn.jpg)
The First Vienna Mountain Spring Pipeline (I. Wiener Hochquellenwasserleitung) is a major part of Vienna's water supply and was the first source of safe
drinking water
Drinking water is water that is used in drink or food preparation; potable water is water that is safe to be used as drinking water. The amount of drinking water required to maintain good health varies, and depends on physical activity level, a ...
for that city. The 95 km long line was opened on 24 October 1873, after four years of construction. Today, it delivers 62 million
cubic meter
The cubic metre (in Commonwealth English and international spelling as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures) or cubic meter (in American English) is the unit of volume in the International System of Units (SI). Its symbol is m ...
s of water per year (53% of Vienna's total supply in 2007). The water comes from high springs in the
Rax and
Schneeberg areas in Southern Lower Austria and
Styria
Styria (german: Steiermark ; Serbo-Croatian and sl, ; hu, Stájerország) is a state (''Bundesland'') in the southeast of Austria. With an area of , Styria is the second largest state of Austria, after Lower Austria. Styria is bordered to ...
.
History
Beginnings to 1910
The reason for its creation
Vienna's water supply originally came from private wells. In the absence of a functioning sewer system, the quality of the
groundwater
Groundwater is the water present beneath Earth's surface in rock and soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. About 30 percent of all readily available freshwater in the world is groundwater. A unit of rock or an unconsolidate ...
went from bad to worse, triggering disease and epidemics. Reinforced water pipes were built, but these primarily benefitted the wealthy and large institutions. Most of the population had to rely on spouts or fountains attached to wells.
The first water pipe that provided greater coverage was built in 1803-1804, bringing water from
Hütteldorf
Hütteldorf (; Central Bavarian: ''Hittldorf'') is a part of Vienna's 14th district, Penzing. It is located in the west of Vienna, in the geographical center of the district, stretching roughly from ''Deutschordenstraße'' (which forms the border ...
. Vienna was growing too fast for the supply to be sufficient so, in 1836, the Emperor Ferdinand Aqueduct was built. It provided artificially filtered water from the
Danube Canal
The Donaukanal ("Danube Canal") is a former arm of the river Danube, now regulated as a water channel (since 1598), within the city of Vienna, Austria. It is long and, unlike the Danube itself, it borders Vienna's city centre, Innere Stadt, ...
. Initially, the water quality was acceptable, but the effects of the filtering gradually diminished and the health risk returned. Demand also continued to exceed supply.
During the late 1850s, several projects to divert water from other sources were proposed, and studies were made to calculate the amount of water that would be required. These studies considered not only drinking water, but industry, irrigation, road sprinkling, fountains and bathing facilities as well.
Search for a source
A primary consideration was that the water should originate at a high altitude, so that gravity, rather than pumps, would be sufficient to the task. The
Traisen was considered first, and rejected, because of high water temperatures during the summer and concerns about its purity. The
Pitten
Pitten is a Market Municipality in the district of Neunkirchen in the Austrian federal state of Lower Austria.
Geography
Pitten lies in the northern part of the "Bucklige Welt
The Bucklige Welt is a region in southeast Lower Austria. It is ...
,
Schwarza and the
Leitha
The Leitha (; or , formerly ; Czech and sk, Litava) is a river in Austria and Hungary, a right tributary of the Danube. It is long ( including its source river Schwarza). Its basin area is .
Etymology
The ''Lithaha'' River in the Carolingia ...
were subsequently rejected for similar reasons. The
Fischa
The Fischa () is a river of Lower Austria. It is a right tributary of the Danube near the town Fischamend. Its drainage basin is .
References
Rivers of Lower Austria
Rivers of Austria
{{LowerAustria-geo-stub ...
was rejected because of concerns about the companies that used the river as a power source and the possibility of contamination from ammonia-based fertilizers. Attention finally turned to the area between Rax, Schneeberg and
Würflach.
The data collected from these studies were summarized by the City Planning Authority and presented to the City Council on 31 July 1861. Later, on 1 December 1861, foreign and domestic engineering companies were invited to submit plans and bids for the proposed project. Twelve offers were presented and various sources were suggested; two of which focused on the Rax-Schneeberg area.
Establishment of the Water Supply Commission
![Eduard Sueß](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Eduard_Sue%C3%9F.jpg)
On 21 November 1862, the City Council established a twelve-member commission to carry out the necessary surveys and paperwork. Among the commission's members were
Cajetan Felder
Baron Cajetan von Felder (german: link=no, Cajetan Freiherr von Felder; 19 September 1814 – 30 November 1894) was an Austrian lawyer, entomologist and liberal politician. He served as mayor of Vienna from 1868 to 1878.
Life and career
Felder ...
(an
entomologist
Entomology () is the scientific study of insects, a branch of zoology. In the past the term "insect" was less specific, and historically the definition of entomology would also include the study of animals in other arthropod groups, such as arach ...
),
Ludwig Förster
Ludwig Christian Friedrich (von) Förster (8 October 1797 in Ansbach – 16 June 1863 in Bad Gleichenberg, Styria) was a German-born Austrian architect. While he was not Jewish, he is known for building Jewish synagogues and churches.
Ludwig F ...
(an architect) and
August Zang
August Zang (; 2 August 1807 – 4 March 1888) was an Austrian entrepreneur who founded the Viennese daily ''Die Presse''. He also had a major influence on French baking methods.
Soldier and baker
The son of Christophe Boniface Zang, a Vienna ...
(a publisher).
Eduard Suess
Eduard Suess (; 20 August 1831 - 26 April 1914) was an Austrian geologist and an expert on the geography of the Alps. He is responsible for hypothesising two major former geographical features, the supercontinent Gondwana (proposed in 1861) and t ...
(a geologist) was appointed to replace Förster upon the latter's death in 1863. In the spring of that year, the commission began a detailed examination of the proposed sites and projects. Their studies extended higher and higher, finally examining the area around
Höllental, which they declared to be suitable for the project's purposes.
The final "Report on the surveys of the Water Supply Commission of the Municipal Council of the City of Vienna" was written by Suess in 1864 and published by the Council. The report concluded that the three sources of Kaiserbrunnen, Stixenstein and Alta would supply high quality water and, even though it was longer than the route to Fischa, would be more
cost-effective
Cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) is a form of economic analysis that compares the relative costs and outcomes (effects) of different courses of action. Cost-effectiveness analysis is distinct from cost–benefit analysis, which assigns a monetar ...
because no pump station would be necessary. The report was submitted to a group of experts and verified on 6 July 1864. The Imperial Society of Physicians gave their support to the final proposal and it was ratified by the Council on 12 July by a vote of 94 to 2.
The beginning of detailed planning
![Rosenhügel Portal](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/Rosenh%C3%BCgel_Portal.jpg)
Those involved in the planning were divided in two groups. The First Department was responsible for the source of the pipeline and the
reservoir
A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation.
Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...
. The Second Department oversaw the pipeline route and work within the Vienna city limits. The work was done under the direction of
Carl Junker
Carl Junker (18 June 1827 – 17 May 1882) was an Austrian engineer and architect. His construction projects include Miramare Castle in Trieste and the First Vienna Mountain Spring Pipeline.
Life
Carl Junker was born as the son of a tenant f ...
, a civil engineer, and Karl Gabriel, the City Engineer.
The plans were completed near the end of October in 1865 and put on public display at the
Palais Augarten
Palais Augarten is a Baroque palace in the district of Leopoldstadt, Vienna, Austria.Gaillemin 1994, p. 269. Constructed in the late seventeenth century by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach on the site of a hunting château and gardens, the palac ...
in December. Another panel of experts examined the plans and gave their approval in February, 1866. On May 25 that year, the plans were presented to the City Council for final approval and after a long debate, the project was authorized to proceed on 19 June.
Having fulfilled the tasks assigned to it, the original Water Supply Commission was dissolved on 3 July and replaced by a new twenty-one member commission to oversee the actual construction. Most of the original commissioners were retained.
The first construction permits were issued in July 1868. Objections were raised by local land owners and factory operators near the Schwarza, but were rejected by the Ministry of the Interior on 22 March 1869.
Acquisition of sources
= Stixenstein
=
The Stixenstein source, near the Schloss Stixenstein at Sieding was owned by Count
Ernst Karl von Hoyos-Sprinzenstein
Ernst Karl Heinrich, Count Hoyos-Sprinzenstein (18 June 1830, Vienna - 21 August 1903, Ternitz) was an Austrian nobleman, landowner, and politician.
Biography
The Hoyos family was originally from Spain and emigrated to Austria in the 16th cen ...
. The city of Vienna had notified him that they intended to acquire the property by right of
public domain
The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work
A creative work is a manifestation of creative effort including fine artwork (sculpture, paintings, drawing, sketching, performance art), dance, writing (literature), filmmaking, ...
as early as 27 July 1864. Although he presented several conditions, none were considered onerous and the contract was approved by the Regional Court on 11 August 1868. In return for his "donation" he was made an
Honorary Citizen of Vienna in 1873.
= Kaiserbrunnen
=
![GuentherZ 2008-07-26 0972 Kaiserbrunn Wasserschloss Kaiserbrunnenquelle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/GuentherZ_2008-07-26_0972_Kaiserbrunn_Wasserschloss_Kaiserbrunnenquelle.jpg)
On 12 July 1864, a Delegation requested an audience with Emperor
Franz Joseph I
Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I (german: Franz Joseph Karl, hu, Ferenc József Károly, 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 2 December 1848 until his ...
to request that he graciously transfer his interests in the Kaiserbrunnen to the City of Vienna.
On 1 May 1865, at the opening ceremonies for the
Ringstraße
The Vienna Ring Road (german: Ringstraße, lit. ''ring road'') is a 5.3 km (3.3 mi) circular grand boulevard that serves as a ring road around the historic Innere Stadt (Inner Town) district of Vienna, Austria. The road is located on sites where ...
, the Emperor declared that he would present the Kaiserbrunnen to the city as a gift. The Ministry of Finance, however, made demands for indemnification and negotiations ensued. A decision on 29 November 1867 was followed by another audience with the Emperor, followed by more negotiations, which led to a contract being signed on 6 March 1868.
Construction of the first tunnel
After the issuance of construction permits, the bids were examined and the contract awarded to Antonio Gabrielli, a contractor from London, on 12 October 1869.
The construction officially began on 21 April 1870. The Emperor himself turned over the first spadeful of dirt at Rosenhügel. In fact, construction had started on 6 December 1869, with blasting for the tunnel at Höllental. Due to some initial difficulties, the proposed completion date was re-estimated to be July, 1874. Gabrielli had awarded individual segments of the project to sub-contractor. The tunnel work had been given to Franz Schlögl, a Viennese architect, who was not up to the task and was removed from the project in August, 1870.
Falling further behind from delays in deliveries, Gabrielli turned to the
Minister of War
A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...
to help with the tunnel but, instead of the 250 men he requested, he was assigned only 70
sapper
A sapper, also called a pioneer (military), pioneer or combat engineer, is a combatant or soldier who performs a variety of military engineering duties, such as breaching fortifications, demolitions, bridge-building, laying or clearing minefie ...
s. After an intervention by the City of Vienna, the War Ministry sent more men and the last tunnel section was completed on 8 December 1872.
Construction in Vienna
![Aquä Baden0543](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ca/Aqu%C3%A4_Baden0543.jpg)
On 5 April 1870, the City Council approved a proposal by the Water Supply Commission and designated three companies to supply the pipes needed in urban areas. These were: the Prager Eisenindustrie-Gesellschaft (located in
Kladno
Kladno (; german: Kladen) is a city in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 67,000 inhabitants. It is the largest city in the region and together with its adjacent suburban areas has a population of more than 110,000.
...
), Gambier et Cie. (from
La Louvière
La Louvière (; wa, El Lovire) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium.
The municipality consists of the following districts: Boussoit, Haine-Saint-Paul, Haine-Saint-Pierre, Houdeng-Aimeries, Hou ...
, Belgium) and the Neuberg-Mariazeller Gewerkschaft. However, Gambier encountered difficulties in delivering their pipes due to the
Franco-Prussian War, so most of their contract was transferred to nearby factories in
Moravia
Moravia ( , also , ; cs, Morava ; german: link=yes, Mähren ; pl, Morawy ; szl, Morawa; la, Moravia) is a historical region in the east of the Czech Republic and one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia.
The me ...
. Many of the pipes were tested after being laid and were not up to standards, so the thickness of the pipe walls was increased and the general plan was revised to prevent water pressure from being too high in the low-lying areas.
Due to a lack of water in 1873, Gabrielli was asked to accelerate his work so the supplies could be increased by no later than October. The City Council approved a special payment for this purpose. Construction was largely completed by August. The highlight of the opening ceremony on 24 October 1873 was the dedication of a jet fountain on the
Schwarzenbergplatz
Schwarzenbergplatz is a square in Vienna, Austria. It is actually more like a small, open street than a square, and it runs between the Kärntner Ring section of the Ringstraße and Lothringerstraße. Travelling south, the street, Schwarzenbergs ...
by the Emperor.
The entire pipe network, however, was not completed until July 1874. Private wells were examined for potential health hazards and, if any were found, the residences they served had to be connected to the new system and the old wells closed. By 1883, 80% of the homes in Vienna were receiving their water from the new pipes. By 1888, this had increased to 91%. Due to an increase in population, a pumping station had to be added at Breitensee in 1896. By 1899, another pumping station had been added on the Wienerbergstraße. In 1908 and 1909, the city found itself facing shortages again and, despite some opposition from industrial interests, took stop-gap measures to insure an adequate drinking water supply until the Second Vienna Mountain Spring Pipeline could be completed.
From 1910 to 1938
![GuentherZ 2008-07-26 0973 Kaiserbrunn Zumesskammer](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/71/GuentherZ_2008-07-26_0973_Kaiserbrunn_Zumesskammer.jpg)
After the opening of the second pipeline in 1910, further investment in the first pipeline no longer seemed necessary.
On 25 July 1914, during the First World War, both pipelines became state-protected companies by Imperial Decree. As a result, monitoring of the lines, which was normally undertaken by city employees and volunteers, became the responsibility of the
Landsturm
In German-speaking countries, the term ''Landsturm'' was historically used to refer to militia or military units composed of troops of inferior quality. It is particularly associated with Prussia, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Sweden and the Nether ...
.
After the war, the population of Vienna decreased by almost 326,000 and the ensuing economic depression reduced economic activity so the city found itself with a surplus of water that was delivered to adjacent communities such as
Klosterneuburg
Klosterneuburg (; frequently abbreviated as Kloburg by locals) is a town in Tulln District in the Austrian state of Lower Austria. It has a population of about 27,500. The Klosterneuburg Monastery, which was established in 1114 and soon after give ...
,
Schwechat
Schwechat () is a town southeast of Vienna known for the Vienna International Airport and Schwechater beer. The city is home to the refineries of the Austrian national oil company OMV.
Geography
Schwechat is named after the river Schwechat, whi ...
,
Brunn am Gebirge
Brunn am Gebirge (Central Bavarian: ''Brunn aum Gebiage'') is a town in the district of Mödling in the Austrian state of Lower Austria.
History
Excavations from the Neolithic period show that the area was already inhabited 6000 BC and Brunn maki ...
and others. But, during the summers of 1928 and 1929, the area experienced a drought, once again forcing a search for new sources of water. A temporary pumping station was established on the Naßbach, near its confluence with the Preinbach, but this water had to be
chlorinated
In chemistry, halogenation is a chemical reaction that entails the introduction of one or more halogens into a compound. Halide-containing compounds are pervasive, making this type of transformation important, e.g. in the production of polymers, ...
. That pump was eventually replaced by an electrically powered pump at the pipeline's headwaters. In 1930, improvements were made to the source at Kaiserbrunnen, including a "metering chamber" that would provide precise measurements of water flow.
1938 to 1945
Water consumption in Vienna rose sharply after 1939, slowing down only towards the end of 1944. By 1942, demand had exceeded supply. In the event that one of the lines might become disabled, groundwater stations and locks were built in the urban area. Water saving measures were, of course, already in effect as a result of the war.
On 12 April 1944 an attack on the nearby airbase at
Kottingbrunn
Kottingbrunn is a town in the district of Baden in Lower Austria in Austria.
Population
People
* Henryk Jasiczek, Polish poet from Zaolzie
Trans-Olza ( pl, Zaolzie, ; cs, Záolží, ''Záolší''; german: Olsa-Gebiet; Cieszyn Silesian ...
caused
collateral damage
Collateral damage is any death, injury, or other damage inflicted that is an incidental result of an activity. Originally coined by military operations, it is now also used in non-military contexts.
Since the development of precision guided ...
to the first pipeline. Far more serious were the results of an attack at
Wöllersdorf in May, which damaged the line in several places. Bombing near Vienna caused damage to the aqueduct. Temporary repairs were attempted, often by local fire brigades. On 29 March 1945, a bombing raid by Russian aircraft caused severe damage at
Neunkirchen. This remained unrepaired until after the war.
1945 until today
![Wasserbehälter Neusiedl am Steinfeld - Betriebsgebäude](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Wasserbeh%C3%A4lter_Neusiedl_am_Steinfeld_-_Betriebsgeb%C3%A4ude.jpg)
The bomb craters near Neunkirchen had allowed large quantities of gravel to enter the system, causing erosion to the pipes. Cleaning and repair required several years, during which the canal had to be closed.
The first major project after the pipeline was recommissioned was the construction of a major water storage facility at
Neusiedl am Steinfeld. The foundation stone was laid on 21 November 1953 and the four-chambered water tank was fully operational by 25 April 1959. It can hold 150,000 cubic metres of water, making it the largest in Europe at that time.
A few years later, another problem was posed by the construction of the
Süd Autobahn
The Süd Autobahn (A2) ('South Motorway') is a motorway (''Autobahn'') in Austria. Completed in 1999, it runs from the outskirts of Vienna south via the cities of Graz and Klagenfurt to the border of Italy at Arnoldstein, where it joins the Autos ...
(1961-1963), which crosses the first pipeline four times between
Bad Vöslau
Bad Vöslau (; Central Bavarian: ''Bod Vöslau'') is a spa town in the Lower Austria federal state of Austria. It is also known as the cradle of the Austrian red wine cultivation. Population (2008): 11,190.
Geography
Bad Vöslau is located 35&nb ...
and
Bad Fischau
The market town of Bad Fischau-Brunn is an Austrian municipality in the district of Wiener Neustadt-Land in Lower Austria. It is situated some 50 km south of Vienna at the edge of Viennese Basin.
Bad Fischau-Brunn is divided into two ''Katas ...
. Precautions had to be taken to protect the pipeline from the potential effects of traffic accidents.
With the establishment of the Schneealpenstollen (Alpine Snow Tunnel) in 1968, water from
Styria
Styria (german: Steiermark ; Serbo-Croatian and sl, ; hu, Stájerország) is a state (''Bundesland'') in the southeast of Austria. With an area of , Styria is the second largest state of Austria, after Lower Austria. Styria is bordered to ...
was introduced into the pipeline system. The tunnel was then the largest in Europe and increased supplies by 20%. Two more such tunnels, the Scheiblingstollen and the Lärchsteinstollen, have been built, bringing water from the
Hochschwab
The Hochschwab in the Upper Styria
Upper Styria (german: Obersteiermark), in the Austrian usage of the term, refers exclusively to the northwestern, generally mountainous and well-wooded half of the federal state of Styria. The southwestern half ...
range.
Waterpipe Museum, Kaiserbrunnen
![Kaiserbrunn Wasserleitungsmuseum Freigelände](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/Kaiserbrunn_Wasserleitungsmuseum_Freigel%C3%A4nde.jpg)
A former forest warden's house in Kaiserbrunnen has served since 1973 as a museum, consisting of two buildings with seven rooms documenting the construction of the First Vienna Mountain Spring Pipeline. The museum was expanded in 1998 and has 950 objects, several informational displays and video presentations.
[Stadt Wien]
''Wasserleitungsmuseum Kaiserbrunn''
; retrieved, 19 Jänuary 2009)
References
Further reading
* Rudolph Stadler: ''Die Wasserversorgung der Stadt Wien in ihrer Vergangenheit und Gegenwart – Denkschrift zur Eröffnung der Hochquellen-Wasserleitung im Jahre 1873''. Verlag des Wiener Gemeinderates, Wien 1873.
* Vinzenz Anderka: ''Die Hochquellen-Wasserleitung für Wien''. Wien 1873
* Alphons Makowiczka, Oberlieutnant im 2. Genie-Regiment: ''Die Mitwirkung der k.k. Genie-Truppe beim Baue der Kaiser Franz Josef-Hochquellenleitung''. Selbstverlag des k.k. technischen und administrativen Militär-Comité, Wien 1874.
* Carl Mihatsch: ''Der Bau der Wiener Kaiser Franz Josefs-Hochquellen-Wasserleitung''. Selbstverlag des Verfassers, Wien 1881.
* Alexander Swetz: ''Das Wasserwerk der Stadt Wien in Matzendorf''. In: ''Zeitschrift des Österreichischen Ingenieur- und Architekten- Vereines''. 11, 1910, , S. 165–174 (Auch Sonderabdruck).
* ''Technischer Führer durch Wien''. Herausgegeben vom Österreichischen Ingenieur- und Architektenverein. Verlag von Gerlach und Wiedling, Wien 1910.
* Alfred Drennig: ''100 Jahre 1. Wiener Hochquellenwasserleitung''. Festschrift. Herausgegeben vom Magistrat der Stadt Wien Abteilung 31 – Wasserwerke aus Anlaß der 100-Jahr-Feier am 24. Okt. 1973. Jugend und Volk, Wien u. a. 1973, .
External links
*Wiener Wasserwerke (Magistratsabteilung 31)
''Offizielle Homepage''mi
''Geschichte der Wiener Wasserversorgung (mit Fotos)'' retrieved, 1 Märch 2012)
*Stadt Wien
retrieved, 19 Jänuary 2009)
*Stadt Wien
retrieved, 19 Jänuary 2009)
{{coord, 48.1383, N, 16.2736, E, source:wikidata, display=title
Aqueducts
Drinking water
Water supply
Water resources management
1873 establishments in Austria