Water Quality in Winterthur - Where Does the Drinking Water Come From?
The drinking water for Winterthur comes from the groundwater stream of the Töss (Linsental and Zell). Every day, 30,000 m3 (=30,000,000 liters!) are extracted from the stream. The quality of the groundwater stream is so good that it requires no further treatment.
Water Supply
The municipal utilities of Winterthur supply not only the city of Winterthur but also eleven surrounding municipalities with drinking water. This water comes from 9 groundwater sources located in groundwater protection zones and is pumped into 2 reservoirs. Two-thirds of the water is then delivered directly to customers. Due to the natural slope, no pumps are needed for this. For the remaining third, the water is pumped into higher reservoirs via 12 stage pump stations. From there, it is distributed to customers. To further increase supply security, there is a direct connection to Zurich's drinking water via the Kemptthal stage pump station.
In addition to customers, drinking water is also provided for 3,880 hydrants as well as firewater reserves and 130 public fountains.
Water Quality
Winterthur's drinking water has a hardness of about 28 French degrees of hardness (= 15.7 German degrees of hardness) – you can find a simple converter here. More information about the chemical-physical composition can be found here.
In short, the quality of drinking water in Winterthur is very high. However, since there is no control of the house plumbing, it is recommended to check the drinking water at the tap. More information on testing the water quality in your house can be found here.
Why is a Drinking Water Test Useful?
Although water quality in Switzerland is strictly monitored, contaminants can still enter the water up to the household tap. From the house connection, the homeowner is responsible for maintaining water quality.
Heavy metals, bacterial contamination, or other pollutants are often not visible to the naked eye. Therefore, the best way to get a comprehensive overview of your own water quality is with a professional laboratory analysis of your drinking water.
Here are the reasons why it is worthwhile to conduct a water analysis:
➥ You regularly drink tap water.➥ Your tap water has an unusual taste, smell, or cloudy appearance.
➥ There are people in your household who may be particularly affected by contaminated water, such as babies or pregnant women.
➥ You use your tap water to prepare baby food.
➥ You own a water carbonator for which you use your tap water.
➥ You are unsure of the piping material used in your house and want to rule out contamination from heavy metals.
Further Information:
Stadtwerke Winterthur
Swiss Association of Gas and Water
EDI Regulation on Drinking Water (pdf)