![[Translate to English:] ÖWAW Titelblatt 5-6/26](/fileadmin/_processed_/5/4/csm_oewaw_9125aa1735.png "[Translate to English:] ÖWAW")
Vienna is internationally recognised as a leading city in the field of drinking water supply: more than two million people are supplied daily with high-quality water, predominantly from Alpine sources. However, climate change, population growth and global changes are presenting even established systems with new challenges. This is precisely where the “Vienna Water Resource Systems 2020+ (VIWA 2020+)” research collaboration comes in.
The City of Vienna, Wiener Wasser and the ICC Water & Health are working together to lay the scientific foundations for a safe drinking water supply in the future. VIWA 2020+ is regarded as a model example of the successful combination of internationally recognised basic research and practical application. The aim is to make scientific findings directly accessible to the planning and operation of Vienna’s water supply through translational research, thereby supporting evidence-based decision-making.
ÖWAW Special Issue: Research Made Accessible for Practical Application
The recently published special issue “Research for Safe Drinking Water” in Österreichische Wasser- und Abfallwirtschaft (ÖWAW) presents, for the first time, key findings from the collaboration in a clear and accessible format tailored to the practical needs of the water sector in the DACH region. The special issue builds on the successful VIWA Mid-Term Symposium 2025, which took place on 19 May 2025 and was attended by around 130 representatives from academia, public administration, politics and the water sector.
Under the motto “Our Drinking Water – A Mid-Term Exchange of Knowledge”, the partners in the Vienna Water Resource Systems 2021 – 2029 research collaboration presented initial promising interim results and provided insights into the activities planned for the second half of the project.
The current ÖWAW special issue now focuses on seven internationally peer-reviewed scientific papers and the editorial, which have been translated and made accessible specifically for the water management sector. All seven articles are freely available on the ÖWAW Springer website (Open Access, March/April 2026).