Switzerland is rich in water but due to continued drought and misuse of available resources, it could become more expensive.
Let’s begin with some facts: according to government data, Switzerland has abundant water resources.
Fed by glaciers, it has 6 percent of Europe’s freshwater reserves, which is a significant percentage for a small, landlocked country.
However, this valuable resource is, both literally and figuratively, being drained.
Due to climate change – and, specifically, persistent droughts – water supply is diminishing.
And the situation will only worsen in future, given that heatwaves are forecast to become more frequent, hotter and last longer due to climate change, caused by the burning of fossil fuels.
We already know that Swiss glaciers are melting at an alarming rate – losing 400 cubic metres of water per second, according to experts – and thus endangering the country’s water supply:
READ MORE: Melting Swiss glaciers face worst case scenario
While the worst in terms of water supply has not happened yet, we are getting precariously closer to a crisis – especially given dry and hot summers are set to continue due to the human-caused climate crisis.
That’s the future, what is going on now?
According to experts, Switzerland was not at all prepared for the current drought, or its impact on water supply.
This lack of foresight could have serious consequences for consumers: due to drought-driven shortages, the price of tap water could increase (read more about this below).
However, neither the nature nor lack of planning are the only ones to blame for possible water shortages: according to hydrologist Tobias Wechsler, appeals to conserve water and bans in place “have so far had little effect during Switzerland’s driest summer.”
In fact, is some places, people actually resorted to looting water from fountains.
The town Veltheim, in Aargau, for instance, had to turn off its fountains due to unusually high volume of stolen water.
In some cases, “water was hauled away in large barrels, sometimes even with the help of submersible pumps,” officials reported.
Calls to ‘urgently develop’ water supply
Wechsler said that the responsibility for water management and supply lies primarily with the cantons, which hold sovereignty over this resource.
Therefore, they must “urgently develop sustainable water strategies to prevent shortages and higher cost to consumers.”
Yes, but how?
According to Wechsler, it all comes down to proper planning and necessary investments to ensure future supply – for instance, interconnected water pipeline networks, new water sources, metering systems, and leak repairs.
These measure could, however, have consequences for consumers: to offset the costs involved in ensuring a sustainable supply, water could become more expensive.
Currently, the average cost in Switzerland is just under 2 francs per 1,000 litres – which is relatively cheap, meaning that consumers don’t yet have the habit of counting every drop.
(By comparison, water costs nearly 9 francs per 1,000 litres in Denmark, where consumption is, consequently, below 100 litres a day. In Switzerland, daily consumption stands at around 140 litres).
Some Swiss municipalities have already taken pro-active water-conservation measures.
For instance, for the past decade, the municipality of Fully in Valais has implemented a strict irrigation plan starting in March.
Residents on the valley floor are permitted to water their gardens two days a week, while winegrowers on the hillside slopes are limited to just one day.
Faced with increasingly severe dry spells, the municipality is now considering tightening even these already restrictive rules – especially in view of this summer’s drought.
