Zell am See is the administrative capital of the Zell am See district in the Austrian state of Salzburg. The town is an important tourist destination, located very close to the Kitzsteinhorn glacier. This is the only glacier in Salzburg and its plateau is located 3029 meters above the sea level. It offers the rare luxury of skiing also during the summer.

The horizontal, dry-installed pumps at the network pumping station Zell am See were clogging at least 2-4 times a week, also during weekends. Consequently, the pumps had to be lifted and the blockage removed. A high amount of sanitary items and incontinence adult diapers from the nearby hospital were the root cause for the clogging.