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An innovative irrigation project is starting in the Austrian wine region of Traisental. For "Aqua Repono" ("Water Storage"), several wells are being constructed near the Danube to store the surpluses of heavy rainfall events. A water pipeline approximately eight kilometers long will supply drip irrigation for around 200 hectares of area. For this purpose, a water cooperative with 181 members has been established. Its chairman is the winemaker and chairman of the wine region Markus Huber ****. With the help of sensors that measure the drought stress of the vines, the board of the cooperative decides when the irrigation will be activated. "The cycle will take ten days until the last vineyard is irrigated," explains Huber. However, the water could also be used to extinguish forest fires.
The planned start of construction is in late autumn, with completion scheduled for 2026. An investment in the higher single-digit million range is necessary for this. The costs for the main pipeline will be half funded by an EU program. Aqua Repono has already been awarded an Austrian prize for environmental projects. According to the water cooperative, it serves to retain water in the Traisental in the long term and could provide a competitive advantage for local winemakers. Currently, according to an estimate by the winegrowers' association, only about five percent of vineyard areas in Austria can be irrigated.
(al / Source: The Winemaker)