2608) "First Vienna Spring Water Main", Austria: 150th Anniversary (1873-2023): Austrian Euro Coin Set 2023: This Coin Set from the Vienna Mint (VM) celebrates the inauguration of the First Vienna Spring Water Main, which provides the Austrian capital with drinking water: Date of issue: 22.11.2022 (with Year of issued marked as 2023):
In Vienna, by simply turning on the tap, one can drink high-quality spring water from the Alps. But that was not always the case.
The population of the Austrian capital obtained its drinking water from domestic wells up until the 16th century, when a pipeline was eventually constructed after a major fire had shown there was insufficient water to prevent such disasters.
In the mid-19th century, the poor quality of Vienna’s drinking water led to typhus and cholera epidemics.
The first water pipe that provided greater coverage was built in 1803-1804, bringing water from Hütteldorf.
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. 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.
Vienna's water supply originally came from private wells.
In the absence of a functioning sewer system, the quality of the groundwater 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.
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, Schwarza and the Leitha were subsequently rejected for similar reasons.
The Fischa 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 31.07.1861.
Later, on 01.12.1861, 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.
In 1873, the First Vienna Spring Water Main began bringing fresh water to capital from the Schneeberg-Rax-Schneealpe massif south-west of the city.
The brainchild of geologist and city councillor Eduard Suess, the construction of the water main was an impressive feat of civil engineering involving thousands of workers, yet it took just four years to complete.
Built to improve and safeguard drinking water supply, thereby excluding any further health hazards for the population, the water main now supplies Vienna with 220 million litres of spring water every day.
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 for that city.
The 95 km long line was opened on 24.10.1873, after four years of construction. Presently, it delivers 62 million cubic meters of water per year (around 53% of Vienna's total supply).
The water comes from high springs in the Rax and Schneeberg areas in Southern Lower Austria and Styria.
On its 24-hour journey, the water passes over 30 aqueducts from its source to the Rosenhügel reservoir in Vienna, from where it is distributed via a vast network of pipes.
Not only is the water of exceptional quality, as it flows purely because of gravity, the system that supplies it is environmentally friendly.
Waterpipe Museum, Kaiserbrunnen:
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.
The specifications of this Coin are:
Country: Republic of Austria (Osterreich Republik); Date/Year of issue: 22.11.22 (with year of issue inscribed as 2023); Coin Theme: "Vienna's first Springwater Main Supply"; Coin Quality: Special Uncirculated; Mint: "Munze Osterreich" (Austrian Mint, Vienna); Mintage: 50,000 pieces.
Packaging: Comes in a blister pack featuring information in German and English.
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