Italy faces a monumental water challenge: avoiding waste, according to the Italian National Institute of Statistics, the country wastes annually an amount of water sufficient to meet the needs of 43 million people.
This staggering figure is mainly due to old infrastructures, which last year caused the loss of 42% of drinking water.
This percentage sets a new record. Approximately a quarter of the country’s water networks are over 50 years old, and 60% are over 30 years old.
This significant loss is especially worrisome in a country that is also experiencing a prolonged drought and must avoid waste.
Could Italians be wasting water without knowing it?
The price of drinking water in Italy is among the lowest in Europe, with a cost of 2 euros per cubic meter, half of what is paid in France. In the past, water supply was not a problem.
However, in recent years, Italian citizens have been faced with water restrictions.
Many strive to conserve the scarce supply. An Italian citizen commented: “When I brush my teeth, I turn off the tap. I pay attention to other small details, I prefer the shower to the bathtub”.
Despite these individual efforts to save water, it is possible that the population is consuming much more than they realize and could avoid waste. On average, Europeans consume 125 liters of water per day.
However, due to significant leaks in the pipes, Italians consume an average of 236 liters. The issue is not limited to water waste; on June 1st, the European Union announced its decision to sue Italy for not properly treating its urban wastewater.
Can Italy solve the water problem?
The biggest water waste issues are concentrated in the southern part of the country, but scarcity and waste are a national concern.
In the north, specifically in the Friuli region, companies have decided to come together to invest in the modernization of the water network.
Smart meters are being implemented to prevent wastage by consumers, and water distribution is being digitalized to predict where problems could arise in the future.
Salvatore Benigno, President of CAFC Water Company, explained the strategy: “The seven companies in the Friuli Venezia-Giulia region that manage water distribution and supply have organized to collaborate together”.
He added: “We obtained funds from the NRRP – that is, European funding – to make the water network more efficient. The goal is to reduce network losses by around 13% in a few years, because by 2026 the whole project must be completed”.
In total, Italy plans to allocate 4.000 billion euros of European funds to build 25.000 kilometers of water distribution networks, in order to mitigate its scarcity issues.
