Austrian municipalities invest in infrastructure to combat severe drought

Local authorities in Lower Austria are implementing emergency measures and infrastructure projects to combat a severe water shortage caused by the region's driest summer on record.

In Michelbach, Mayor Gerhard Berger spent approximately 25,000 Euros to hire a milk truck to transport drinking water from neighboring towns during July and August. The village could not maintain its own water supply during this period.

Other nearby towns like Perchtoldsdorf issued restrictions on residents, asking them to stop using automatic irrigation systems and lawn sprinklers to preserve the limited supply. In Pöggstall, the community faced the possibility of shutting off drinking water during the night due to the ongoing dry conditions. Martin Angelmaier of the Lower Austria provincial government reported that while recent rains have moistened the topsoil, the water has not yet reached the groundwater.

Currently, 88 percent of the province's monitoring stations show groundwater levels at low or very low levels. Because the drought is expected to persist, officials are moving toward long-term solutions. Michelbach has already activated a new 300 cubic meter reservoir and is using ground radar to locate new water sources for drilling. Perchtoldsdorf plans to increase its water extraction from 12 to at least 17 liters per second and is considering a third borehole.

The town also commissioned a study to plan its water needs for the next decade. To support these efforts, the federal and state governments are providing 42 million Euros in funding for 386 projects across Lower Austria. These projects aim to improve water retention and give rivers more space to manage the flow.