Upper Austrian water cooperative association
The Upper Water Cooperative Union (short E WATER) was founded in 1946 by decision of the Upper Austrian state parliament as the umbrella organization of the Upper Austrian water cooperatives founded.
Members
The association has around 1600 members (including around 920 water supply cooperatives). The Upper Austrian water cooperatives supply around 200,000 residents with drinking water . In addition to the water cooperatives for the drinking water supply, there are approx. 150 sewage cooperatives, approx. 540 drainage cooperatives and 1 irrigation cooperative in the association. In addition to drinking water cooperatives with their own water extraction systems (wells and / or springs), there are also cooperatives that obtain drinking water from another operator and distribute it to the members in their own network. In the wastewater sector, too, a distinction is made between plants with their own (small) wastewater treatment plant and those that collect wastewater and divert it to another operator (e.g. to another water cooperative or a municipality).
It is not uncommon for a municipality to have several water cooperatives, which mainly establish and operate the infrastructure for drinking water supply and / or wastewater disposal in settlements and districts; in the main town or center of the municipality, the municipality often operates a municipal drinking water supply and / or municipal wastewater disposal itself. However, there are also some municipalities in which water cooperatives are also the main places of supply and disposal. Examples in the water supply sector are Seewalchen am Attersee, Neuhofen an der Krems, Sarleinbsbach, Putzleinsdorf, Walding, Oberneukirchen, Zwettl an der Rodl, Tragwein, Pabneukirchen, Bad Goisern, Pinsdorf, Ried in der Riedmark or Bad Leonfelden, where relatively large water cooperatives operate . Water cooperatives can form from 3 interested parties (connections) and become a corporation under public law through recognition by the water authority. In Upper Austria, the largest water cooperative Neuhofen an der Krems has around 2000 members and supplies around 6000 people.
tasks
- Representation of interests (e.g. in standards and guideline committees)
- Advice (technical, legal, economic, organizational)
- Technical support through services
- Training (e.g. training to become a water manager , training for stewards, cashiers, ...)
- Plant supervision (external inspection according to §134 WRG 1959)
- Allocation of funding
- Joint tenders (e.g. drinking water tests)
- Joint purchase (e.g .: water meter)
- Help in emergencies and disasters
- Cooperation with other umbrella organizations and interest groups