Vienna Water Charta

Since December 2001, Vienna has been the first and, until that date, the only city in the world to protect drinking water with a constitutional provision. With the Vienna Water Charter, the city’s renowned mountain spring water is to be safeguarded as a vital basis for the lives of future generations.

1. Safeguarding Vienna’s water for all generations

The City of Vienna does everything in its power to avoid exposing the vital resource that is water to any kind of danger or risk. The water from Vienna’s spring and water protection zones is to remain available to present and future generations in line with the same high quality standards as today. To attain these goals, economic measures are subordinated to the common good and technical installations must correspond to the state of the art in the respective field.

2. Constitutional protection for our water

Vienna is the first federal province of Austria to protect its drinking water and the spring protection forests (German) with a constitutional provision to prevent a sell-out of water, the "white gold".

3. Water supply is a service of general interest

Services of general interest embody the basic supply of the general public with essential goods and services. They are a primary task of municipalities. This responsibility must not be simply outsourced to profit-oriented enterprises.

4. Environmental protection safeguards workplaces

The operation of municipal field units and offices in both the spring protection zones and the federal capital ensures the sensitive and foresighted use of natural resources. A sell-out of the spring protection forests would not only affect environmental protection but also endanger workplaces.

5. Ensuring quality instead of maximising profits

Vienna’s inhabitants have the right to be supplied with the high-quality vital resource that is water at reasonable tariffs. Municipal water supply is governed by a fair pricing system based on the cost-coverage principle. This means a clear rejection of profit maximisation.

6. Water must not become a luxury item

The management of the spring protection zones by the City of Vienna safeguards that Vienna’s precious water resources will remain "affordable" for all.

7. Responsible use of water resources

The City of Vienna ensures that the volume of water abstraction will remain in harmony with the requirements of environmental protection. It is not planned to export water.

8. Soil protection as a supreme quality objective

Water is the basis of all life. Hence, the considerate and thoughtful management of forest soil, which stores and filters water, is part of the services of general interest provided by the City of Vienna. Factors such as logging, hunting, agriculture and tourism are subordinated to this objective.

9. Prioritisation of healthy mixed forests

For many decades, the City of Vienna has been implementing environmentally friendly methods of forest management in the spring protection forests (German). Healthy mixed forests that offer a habitat for many different plant and animal species guarantee forest health and sustainable water supply.

10. Water policy in consensus with the European Union

The EU Water Framework Directive aims at improving the aquatic environment in the Community. It does not obligate municipalities to privatise water supply. The water policy of the City of Vienna complies with the framework conditions of Community law.

Section 3a. of the Water Supply Act (constitutional provision)

Protection of Vienna’s water supply

(1) Vienna’s existing system of water supply by means of municipal water supply facilities including the existing system of water collection for this purpose shall not be curtailed in any way while taking account of internal requirements. Moreover, Vienna’s water supply by means of municipal water supply facilities shall be safeguarded to the extent required.

(2) City Council resolutions regarding the sale of municipally-owned properties or installations that serve Vienna’s water supply or are essential for this in any other way shall require a majority of two thirds of the votes cast. This shall also apply to all other dispositions which entail a result that is equal or similar to a sale.