The „Unteres Lafnitztal“ water board in southern Burgenland supplies around 30,000 inhabitants with water every day. The water is distributed via almost 520 kilometers of pipelines, in which numerous Hawle products are to be found. In the course of commissioning an H4.live hydrant, we talked to Richard Vettermann about the everyday challenges of water supply and the effects of climate change. We were particularly interested in the advantages that the digital H4.live hydrant offers in
everyday life:

"In the past, it was common practice in many places to tap drinking water from hydrants for all sorts of uses, whether it was for washing streets and squares, removing sediment, filling swimming pools or watering plants, to give just a few examples. Hydrants are not water taps; they are facilities providing extinguishing water. Operating hydrants improperly usually results in burst pipes and water loss. Unreported and unmetered water withdrawals from hydrants cannot be billed, and the costs have to be borne by the general public. If the hydrant is not properly closed after actuation, there is often a prolonged loss of water, which usually goes unnoticed. H4.live hydrants alert the water supplier when hydrants are actuated and also signal when the hydrant has been completely closed after actuation. In the course of inspection trips, the water supplier can check the hydrant in question and reinstall an anti-theft device. Permanently monitoring leaks in the pipeline system and taking precautions against unauthorized water withdrawals (water theft) is only possible with digital monitoring devices and data transmission to the monitoring center." -Richard Vettermann