The construction of new streets in the Austrian town of Ober-Grafendorf is reaching a new level. The local “eco-street” has become a model of the infrastructure of the future: in summer it cools the air, protects the neighbourhood from flooding and stores rainwater for watering plants. This is not just a road but an intelligent system where ecological design is combined with smart water resource management. The project is an important demonstration site for municipalities.
Positive impact
The main goal of the “Eco-street” project is to ensure that rainwater from the village’s roads is no longer quickly diverted into the sewer system, but instead flows into specially created green zones directly adjacent to the roads. Thanks to this technology, rainwater feeds urban greenery rather than simply draining into the sewer. At the same time, the system guarantees the same high level of flood protection as traditional engineering networks, but with less load on urban infrastructure.
How does it work?
Rainwater in Ober-Grafendorf no longer needs energy-intensive treatment at treatment plants – it can be used directly on site, which brings a whole range of benefits. Green zones with the Draingarden system reduce the area of impermeable surfaces and provide energy savings. Beyond the economic benefit, the “eco-street” has become a genuine refuge for wildlife: specially selected plants provide insects with nectar throughout the season. Such a solution requires minimal maintenance — decorative shrubs, for example, need to be pruned only once a year.
The starting situation
Numerous and intense downpours cause flooding of roads with impermeable surfaces, overloading of sewer networks and treatment plants, and rising costs for their maintenance and repair. Periods of heat and drought, which are becoming ever longer, increase the cost of watering and caring for green plantings. The municipality of Ober-Grafendorf found an answer to these problems in the “Eco-street” project, which involves using innovative technologies to manage rainwater.
Maintenance
Areas with the Draingarden system are ordinary green zones that require standard care, so they do not entail additional costs compared with similar areas without this system.
Why was this measure chosen?
From the very beginning, the Draingarden system was designed so that it could be used in all regions of Austria.
Obstacles and challenges
In the process of regional adaptation, combining the need to treat climate change adaptation as a priority of local policy with the integration of climate and energy issues at the local level proved to be a difficult and limiting factor. As a result, it was hard for many stakeholders at the municipal level to distinguish between adaptation and damage reduction, which led to a lack of clear awareness of the importance of adaptation. Another problem was that, at the time of implementation, a regional adaptation strategy at the municipal level was still absent.
National climate change adaptation measures proved too abstract for on-the-ground implementation. To make them viable, the strategies had to be “brought down to earth” — adapted to the specific needs of communities. The main challenge was finding a balance: how to involve local activists and businesses without exhausting their limited resources. Cooperation with regional organisations played a decisive role in this process — it was partnership that made the changes lasting.
Technical maintenance
This measure does not require the significant investment costs that would be needed to build roadside sewer systems and install clean-water drainage systems. It also reduces long-term operating costs for sewer maintenance, flood-water drainage and wastewater treatment.
How much did it cost?
The cost of planning and building such facilities barely exceeds the cost of traditional solutions. In particular, within the EU C-3Alps project, the participating communities each received €65,000 in grant support. These funds were directed towards administering the processes, expert support and technical assistance for implementing the changes.