#prixalpiq 2024 – The circular economy at the heart of water management

Lausanne – For the fourth year running, the #prixalpiq has recognised two projects that promote sustainable water management with the support of municipalities in the Swiss canton of Valais. The municipality of Grimisuat has been chosen as the 2024 winner, with its project entitled “Grimisuat irrigation network – sustainable water storage and management”. The jury gave its “Coup de Cœur” to the association for water management and development planning in the Aletsch region, for its project entitled “Sustainable water supply planning in the Aletsch region”. To enhance the awards ceremony and facilitate debate on subjects beyond water management, a panel discussion on the topic of “The circular economy: utopia or reality?” took place at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HES-SO) Valais-Wallis in Sion.

Alpiq, together with the Valais Association of Concession-Granting Municipalities (Association des communes concédantes, ACC), has announced yesterday the winners of the fourth #prixalpiq. Antje Kanngiesser, CEO of Alpiq, Amédée Murisier, Head of Alpiq’s Switzerland division, and Christoph Bürgin, Chairman of the ACC, presented the awards, worth a total of CHF 50,000, to the winners. Christoph Bürgin said: “Once again this year, the #prixalpiq jury is proud to showcase two sustainable water management projects in Valais. One offers a comprehensive response to the critical issue of water supply in a municipality that does not have its own water sources; the other is a perfect example of inter-municipal collaboration allowing the challenges of water management to be met in a coordinated way.”

The jury, which was made up of 11 personalities from the canton of Valais, chose the winning projects based on criteria such as sustainability, feasibility, the benefits for the municipalities, replicability and the level of innovation.

Circularity – a solution for more sustainable water management?

To enhance the #prixalpiq awards ceremony, a panel discussion on the topic of “The circular economy: utopia or reality?” took place at the HES-SO Valais-Wallis in Sion. Adèle Thorens Goumaz, associate professor in public policy and ethics at the School of Engineering and Management in the canton of Vaud, highlighted the connections between economy and ecology. She then discussed with Alpiq CEO Antje Kanngiesser, Laurent Horvath, delegate for water issues in the canton of Valais, Emilie Neveu, head of the STREAM research laboratory at HES-SO, and Evann Buchwalder, member of the HES-Eco student group, how circularity principles can be applied to water management. Antje Kanngiesser commented: “Taking a comprehensive approach to water management, in collaboration with all those who consume it, will be key to sustaining this vital resource and ensuring that everyone has access to it. Circular economy principles show us how we can manage this resource in a sustainable way.”

An integrated approach to obtaining, storing and managing water

The municipality of Grimisuat has been awarded the #prixalpiq 2024 for its project entitled “Grimisuat irrigation network – sustainable water storage and management”. This project addresses the challenges faced by a municipality that does not have its own water resources and is therefore highly dependent on external supply. The municipality has decided to approach the issue in an integrated way, seeking to anticipate water requirements and availability of the resource, and taking measures ranging from infrastructure repair to consumption optimisation. Raphaël Vuigner, President of the municipality of Grimisuat, said: “This award recognises the work carried out by our predecessors. They always had to find agreements and solutions to bring water into our municipality, which, due to its hillside location, does not have its own supply. The award will help finance our project and bring visibility to our global approach. In view of unavoidable climate change, water management will be a key concern in the next few years for a dry canton like Valais.”

Regional collaboration to meet future challenges

The #prixalpiq jury was impressed by the region-wide collaborative approach taken by the association for water management and development planning in Aletsch, which comprises the municipalities of Bitsch, Bettmeralp, Lax and Riederalp. It gave its Coup de Cœur to the project entitled “Sustainable water supply planning in the Aletsch region”, which is managed by the firm Rudaz+Partner AG. The association’s aim with this project is to identify challenges in relation to drinking water, irrigation and tourism, and then to develop a comprehensive supply concept. Thomas Wenger, Chairman of the association for water management, says: “Being awarded the #prixalpiq confirms that our project is an excellent example of regional resource management. The award will enable us to promote our project and raise awareness of water’s importance as a resource.”

About the #prixalpiq

Established in 2021 and organised by Alpiq together with the Valais Association of Concession-Granting Municipalities, the #prixalpiq recognises sustainable water management projects in the areas of agriculture, the environment, energy, tourism and culture, among others. With a total value of CHF 50,000, it supports the development of specific projects that are sponsored by municipalities in Valais.