Zurich has two separate water supply systems - one for households and one for emergency use. The emergency system includes decorative fountains throughout the city that can be opened to access hydrants and distribute water in case the household system becomes polluted. Though the fountains appear impractical for fetching water, they are designed to reveal hydrants that can connect to hoses and pipes for water distribution in disaster situations. The document emphasizes designing for failures and worst case scenarios.

1. Designed for
the Worst Case
Zurich’s water supply
Frontendconf Zurich - 28 August 2015
by Memi Beltrame

2. Awesome Zurich!

3. Zurich has an
awesome water supply
Mineral water quality!
No added chlorine etc.

4. Actually, we have
two water supplies

5. Several sources, feeding two
completely separate systems.

6. One system for the
households

7. One for these fountains:
Zurich’s emergency
water supply

8. If the household system gets
polluted, these fountains are
the backup system.

9. These fountains are a
great piece of design.
Kids can drink
standing on the
elevation on the
right, dogs have their
own bowl on the left.
But they look really
impractical to fetch
water by the buckets.
How’s that a backup
system?

10. The fountains can be
opened and reveal a
hydrant that is used
to attach a hose and
distribution pipes.

11. Design Award winning
functional fountains

12. Why am I telling
you this?

13. Design for desaster,
failure and worst case.

14. Design for desaster,
failure and worst case.
for no javascript, low bandwidth,
flaky connection, offline,
inconsistent content,
user input…

15. So whenever you
design anything:

16. Think of these.

17. Thanks!
I’m @bratwurstkomet

18. Credits:
Title image: Samuel Rayman, Frontendconf
Zurich panorama: zurich.com
Aerial view: Bering AG http://www.bering.ch/de/referenzen/aktuelle-projekte/wasserversorgung-zurich
Fountain in winter: Samuel Fausch http://www.panoramio.com/photo/16786706
Centered fountain: Dolores Linggi http://zuri.net/magazin/1544/stadtsichten-februar.htm
Opened fountain: http://www.alt-zueri.ch/turicum/brunnen/notwasserbrunnen.html
Distribution: Stadt Zürich https://www.stadt-zuerich.ch/dib/de/index/wasserversorgung/brunnen/Notwasserbrunnen.html