From the mountain spring to your glass

The passion for the element of water is written all over fountain master Andreas Rothenberger's face when I visit him on a rainy January morning at the electricity and water works of the city of Buchs (EWB). Once we're dry, he traces the eventful path of the popular Malschüeler water from spring to glass, to be enjoyed by Truuba guests.

by Doris Büchel

Although water – whether for drinking or swimming – is naturally dear to me, the detailed explanations of the Buchs fountain master Andreas Rothenberger demand my full attention right from the beginning. After all, the journey of the popular Malschüel water from the springs in the Malschüel alpine region at around 1,600 m above sea level strikes me as such a great adventure. I will think of this the next time I get some exquisite Malschüel water from the drinking fountain at the Traube.

But let’s look at one thing at a time: the EWB supplies around 13,500 people with drinking, sanitary and fire-extinguishing water. Around 95 per cent of the annual requirement – an impressive four million cubic metres of water – is supplied by the total of 19 springs in the Malschüel and Tobel area high up in the picturesque Alvier region. With this amount, the pool of the Rheinau outdoor pool in Buchs could be filled more than five times a day. Around three million litres of it flow from Buchserberg down to Buchs for the supply of water.

Most of the Malschüel springs are very stable and always deliver roughly the same amount of water of the same quality, says Andreas Rothenberger, circling the area with his index finger on the map he has spread out on the table in front of us. I learn that, in principle, the spring water can be used as high-quality drinking water without any complex treatment. However, since water is our most important provision and should always flow from the tap in the best quality, it must meet strict food law requirements. It is therefore irradiated with ultraviolet light and disinfected in the Vorderberg power plant. «Owing to its strong energy, the UV radiation renders bacteria, viruses and various spores harmless. After this treatment, the water meets the highest standards and can be drunk as pure drinking water.»

Andreas Rothenberger has dedicated his entire career to the topic of water. After his training as a heating engineer, he first worked as a lifeguard in the Buchs indoor swimming pool before moving on to field service – also in the swimming pool industry. When EWB began looking for an employee for the water supply, he decided to apply. Alongside his job, he soon completed training as a «fountain master» hydraulic engineer in several modules. He has been responsible for the smooth operation and control of the drinking water network – from the water catchment at the spring to the tap – since 2022. He monitors the systems closely and ensures that consumers always have access to high-quality drinking water. He also makes sure that the water quality complies with all regulations. Every three to five years, the canton of St. Gallen acts as a control body. Otherwise, Andreas Rothenberger himself can be found in the spring area. «We take up to 10 samples in winter and up to 25 samples per month in summer – during the alpine season. So I’m out and about on Buchserberg quite often – in Malschüel and Tobel, in Carnol, in Schlipf, Vorderberg, Maienberg and Tobeläckerli.» He sends the samples to the cantonal laboratory in St. Gallen, where they are incubated for three days. The results are almost always perfect, he says. If not, it’s usually because the sampler wasn’t paying full attention, he adds with a smile.

«Water is a provision that we get straight from the tap every day. It’s constantly around us. There’s something mystical about it. That fascinates me.»

«People often say that we have the best water in Buchs,» he says. «But the truth is that everyone else in Switzerland has the best water!» «What makes Malschüel water so popular?», I ask curiously. «It comes from a rocky area with little lime, so its lime content is very low. The acid rain also washes the lime away naturally. That’s why it’s not really necessary to install a water softener in Buchs, since we have naturally soft water.»

We decide to brave the rain and make our way toward the new Tobeläckerli reservoir on site. The short drive takes us through the Altendorf district, past the former river water powerplant – what is now the Museümli, the smallest art museum in Switzerland – until, after a few bends, we end up in front of the elaborately and tastefully renovated old water and electricity plant, which is still in operation.

The clear mountain spring water from the Vorderberg power plant travels here via a main pipe with a 40 cm diameter into the new Tobeläckerli reservoir, right next to the old EWB. «Wow!» I say, impressed, as I look through the round glass pane into the 3.5 million litre water basin a little later. From here, the water flows to hydrants and individual households through the pipe system. And, of course, to the Traube. It strikes me just how little most of us know about this complex system when we simply turn on the tap.

The journey of the Malschüel spring water makes it clear that being able to drink water from the tap in Switzerland is not something to be taken for granted. «I can understand getting sparkling water from a bottle, but normal water from a bottle? In Switzerland? No, I don’t understand that,» says Andreas Rothenberger, shaking his head. «Water is a provision that we get straight from the tap every day. It’s constantly around us. There’s something mystical about it. It fascinates me,» he says as we walk back to the car. So it's little wonder that in his free time he can be found rowing a boat on the Rhine, where he and his fellow club members try to avoid the unpredictable currents, the many sandbanks and the large stones during training.

Before we get back to the valley and say goodbye, I have one last question: «What would happen if there was a catastrophe on the mountain?» «If, for example, the water became cloudy due to an extreme weather event, it would not be usable,» Andreas Rothenberger explains. «As a precaution, we therefore operate a groundwater pump station at the Rheinau outdoor pool to safeguard the water supply. Luckily, we’ve never experienced such an emergency,» he adds.

From the mountain spring to our drinking glass – a journey that makes us aware of how precious and exceptional our water is.