Amt für Wasser und Abfall

What Amt für Wasser und Abfall does

Amt für Wasser und Abfall (AWA) is a cantonal government agency of the Canton of Bern, Switzerland, responsible for water and waste management with a specific mandate to operate the official hydrometric monitoring network (Fachbereich Hydrometrie) for the canton. Headquartered at Reiterstrasse 11, 3011 Bern, with 29 employees, AWA serves internal cantonal government operations including civil protection, environmental monitoring, and public infrastructure management, and coordinates with federal environmental agencies (BAFU, MeteoSchweiz) for standardized national hydrological data exchange.

The agency's core platform is Hydrodaten Bern (hydrodatabern.ch), a real-time hydrological monitoring system that measures stream discharge (Q), mean flow (MQ), lake levels (m ü. M.), and precipitation across 80+ measurement stations in the Canton of Bern. Technical components include pressure sensors, radar sensors for high-flow conditions, and MeteoSchweiz precipitation stations providing data at 10-minute intervals. The system features automated flow classification (Q < 0.5*MQ = low flow, 0.5*MQ < Q < 2*MQ = average, Q > 2*MQ = high flow), seasonal percentile-based positioning, interactive regional maps (Karte Nord/Karte Süd), downloadable PDF diagrams (2-day, 7-day, and 365-day annual cycles), and the Trosec dryness management system for water allocation decisions. Redundant sensor configurations (pneumatic plus radar) at key stations ensure data reliability.

AWA operates as a public sector entity without a commercial revenue model — funding flows through cantonal taxation and government budget allocations. Its customer base consists of internal cantonal government functions (flood monitoring, drought management, hydropower optimization, environmental compliance) and federal partners (BAFU for national monitoring coordination, MeteoSchweiz for precipitation data integration). Services include flood warning, lake balance calculations for major Bern water bodies (Bielersee, Brienzersee, Thunersee), regulatory watercourse management (Gewässerregulierung), and public access to real-time hydrological data via the Hydrodaten Bern web portal.

Name

Amt für Wasser und Abfall

Legal name

Amt für Wasser und Abfall des Kantons Bern

Website

https://hydrodatabern.ch

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Amt für Wasser und Abfall (AWA) is the cantonal government agency of Bern, Switzerland operating a 80+ station hydrometric monitoring network that provides real-time water flow, lake level, and precipitation data for flood control, drought management, and environmental compliance across the canton.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Resource Management & Hydrological Monitoring

NAICS

Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (92411), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Watershed/Source Water & Raw Water Quality Monitoring (intakes, reservoirs, groundwater) (EUANAJAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Data Management, LIMS & Compliance Software (ELN, eDMS, reporting automation) (EUANAJAE)

Keywords

• Hydrometric monitoring
• Water resource management
• Flood control services
• Hydrological data services
• Watercourse regulation

Headquarters

HQ city

Bern

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Amt für Wasser und Abfall (AWA) operates the official hydrometric monitoring network for the Canton of Bern, providing real-time water flow measurements, lake level monitoring, and precipitation data through the hydrodatabern.ch platform. The service covers 80+ measurement stations across cantonal and federal (BAFU) locations monitoring rivers, lakes, and rainfall for flood control, drought management, and water resource regulation.

Product overview

Amt für Wasser und Abfall (AWA) operates a comprehensive hydrological monitoring and water regulation system for the Canton of Bern. The primary offering is the Hydrodaten Bern platform (hydrodatabern.ch), which provides real-time access to water flow and lake level data through multiple interfaces: the main data list (Abflüsse und Seestände), interactive regional maps (Karte Nord and Karte Süd), and downloadable PDF diagrams. The system monitors dozens of cantonal and federal stations across rivers including the Aare, Emme, Simme, Kander, Saane, and Lütschine, as well as major lakes (Bielersee, Brienzersee, Thunersee, Lac de Neuchâtel, Murtensee). Key products include measurement station networks, annual and fixed-term diagrams, lake balance calculations, and flood danger level visualizations. Data is sourced from BAFU (Federal Office for the Environment) and integrated with MeteoSchweiz precipitation data.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hydrodaten Bern (hydrodatabern.ch) Real-time hydrological monitoring platform providing live data on water flows and lake levels across the Canton of Bern, with measurement stations showing current values, 24-hour statistics (mean, max, min), and visual diagrams for 2-day and 7-day periods.
• Messstationen (Measurement Stations) Network of hydrological monitoring stations across cantonal and federal locations, measuring water flow (Abfluss) in m³/s and lake levels (Seestände) in meters above sea. Stations include BAFU federal stations and cantonal A-series stations covering rivers and lakes throughout the Canton of Bern.
• Gewässerregulierung (Water Regulation) Water regulation service managing the flow of the Aare river and connected waterways, including lake balance calculations (Bilanze) for Bielersee, Brienzersee, and Thunersee.
• Karte Nord (North Map) Interactive map displaying current measurement values for hydrological stations in the northern region of the Canton of Bern, with links to 2-day and 7-day diagrams.
• Karte Süd (South Map) Interactive map displaying current measurement values for hydrological stations in the southern region of the Canton of Bern, including high-altitude stations and lake level monitoring.
• Abfluss und Seestände Liste (Flow and Lake Level List) Comprehensive table view of all monitoring stations showing real-time flow values (Q) and lake levels (P), with automatic classification comparing current flow to mean flow (MQ) and percentile-based seasonal positioning.

Quantifiable outcome

• Real-time data updated every 10-30 minutes across 80+ stations
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• BAFU (Bundesamt für Umwelt)coreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration of BAFU federal hydrological stations into the cantonal monitoring network. BAFU stations (identified by numeric prefixes without 'A' or 'K') are linked to the federal database at hydrodaten.admin.ch. The AWA and BAFU coordinate on standardized measurement protocols and data exchange for the national hydrological monitoring system.
• MeteoSchweiz (MeteoSuisse)coreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration of MeteoSchweiz precipitation stations into the hydrodatabern.ch monitoring network. These meteorological stations (identified by MCH prefix and 4-digit codes) provide continuous precipitation measurements at 10-minute intervals from locations including Bern-Zollikofen, Interlaken, Grindelwald, Thun, and high-altitude locations like Jungfraujoch (3580m) and Grimsel Hospiz (1980m).
• Trosec (Trockenheitsmanagement)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDryness management system for monitoring water extraction limits. Trosec stations display flow values in red when below extraction thresholds (Entnahmegrenze) and green when above, providing visual indicators for drought management and water allocation decisions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Swisstopo: The Swiss federal geoportal operates geospatial data infrastructure including mapping services. AWA's station location data is published through similar public infrastructure and Swisstopo provides comparable geodata dissemination services.
• Environment Agency (UK): The UK's environment agency operates an analogous national hydrometric monitoring network with real-time river level and rainfall data. Comparable in regulatory scope and public-data mandate to AWA's cantonal role.
• BAFU (Bundesamt für Umwelt): The Swiss Federal Office for the Environment operates the national hydrological monitoring network and hosts the hydrodaten.admin.ch platform that AWA's federal stations feed into. It is the federal-level counterpart with overlapping responsibilities for water resource monitoring and standardization.

Direct peers

• MeteoSchweiz: Switzerland's national meteorological service operates precipitation stations that AWA integrates into hydrodatabern.ch. Both agencies publish real-time environmental monitoring data and collaborate on integrated water cycle observation.
• AWEL Zürich (Amt für Abfall, Wasser, Energie und Luft): The Canton of Zurich's environmental agency performs an analogous role for hydrometric monitoring and water regulation in Zurich. Comparable in mandate, scope, and operating model to AWA Bern.

Emerging players

• KISTERS AG: A German-headquartered provider of hydrology and water resource management software used by European agencies for monitoring networks, data management, and forecasting. Overlaps with AWA in the data platform and visualization layer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/amt-f%C3%BCr-wasser-und-abfall

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

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