The quality of water is of fundamental importance for human health in all areas of life. Unsafe drinking water is one of the top 10 global health risks. In order to meet this topic, the Interuniversity Cooperation Centre for Water and Health was founded in 2013. Partners are the TU Wien, the Medical University of Vienna and the Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences in Krems. Research and Teaching Our Centre has two main focuses – research and teaching at the international level and scientific expertise in the areas of water quality and health as a competent partner for both the public and private sector. Innovation Driven by a holistic approach, our activities emphasise on the development of innovative microbiological, molecular-biological, physical and chemical methods as well as numerical models for water quality investigation. Societal relevance Our scientific findings are used to derive effective and sustainable management policies related to the use of water such as for drinking, bathing, technical and medical purposes.