One Italian out of ten is not connected to the sewer, almost a third of citizens do not trust drinking drinking water, there are still 3.4 billion cubic meters of water wasted for water losses that would cover the needs of 43 million people in a year. Istat, on the eve of the World Water Day, took stock (report “The statistics on the water. Years 2020-2024”). Meanwhile, the rates have risen by 23% in the last five years (Cittadinanzattiva study). And Acea, among the main Italian water operators, proposes a common plan to Brussels, to deal with the problem of a sector that affects almost 70% of Europe’s GDP, where there are still over 16 million people without access to safe and clean drinking water.
Almost half of the water introduced into the Italian aqueducts is lost before reaching the taps. In the four years taken into consideration by Istat analysis, the dispersion reached 42.4%, worsening compared to 42.2% in 2020. In absolute terms, it means that 3.4 billion cubic meters of water are wasted every year, a sufficient volume to meet the water needs of over 43 million people. The heaviest water losses are in some regions of the central-southern: Basilicata (65.5%), Abruzzo (62.5%), Molise (53.9%), Sardinia (52.8%) and Sicily (51.6%) record the worst levels. Best situation in the North, with the autonomous province of Bolzano (28.8%), Emilia-Romagna (29.7%) and the Aosta Valley (29.8%) among the most virtuous realities. The causes? Unsuitable infrastructures, non -maintenance and insufficient investments.
Italy then continues to be among the European countries with the greatest consumption of water, even if there is more attention to waste. In 2022 for example there was an average provision of 214 liters per inhabitant per day, against 250 liters in 1999. A sign of greater attention to consumption. It consumes, but the distrust reigns supreme. 28.7% of Italian families say they do not drink tap water due to lack of trust. A stable percentage compared to 2023 but still high compared to European standards. In Sicily, Sardinia and Calabria the distrust is even more marked, with peaks above 50%. This phenomenon feeds the consumption of mineral water: 81.8% of the population drink at least half a liter per day, with peaks of 90.3% in Umbria.
One of the structural problems of the Italian water system remains the fragmentation in the management of the service. The 1994 reform, which introduced the integrated water service with the aim of entrusting the management to unique subjects on a territorial scale, is reducing the number of operators (it was 7826 in 1999, which fell to 2110 in 2022), but it is still going slowly.
Then there is the price issue, which continues to grow. According to the citizenship report, in 2024 an Italian family spent on average 500 euros for the water service, with an increase of 4% compared to 2023 and 23% compared to 2019. And here too the territorial disparities are enormous: in Molise the average expenditure is 234 euros per year, while in Tuscany it reaches 748 euros. The most expensive province is Frosinone, with an average bill of 917 euros, while Milan is the cheapest (185 euros).
The water problem is not only Italian, but it is European. The European water sector, with a value of approximately 290 billion euros and over 1.6 million employed, contributes to almost 70% of the Union GDP. But investments remain few, just think that of the 48 billion euros for financing for climatic technologies, only 1 billion is intended for water technologies. Acea proposed a plan in Brussels (the CEO of Acea, Fabrizio Palermo, and the EU Commissioner for the Environment, Jessika Roswall) discussed its discussed in Rome). A strategy based on the “4 R” to face the problem:
- Single Director – Creation of a central governance body for the management of water at national and European level, with a strategic planning of investments and awareness campaigns on responsible consumption.
- Updated rules – strengthening of operators in the sector with centralized decisions at European and national level on strategic issues such as rates and investment planning
- Clear remedies – Protection of water sources, modernization of networks and strengthening of the reuse of waste water
- Adequate resources – revision of rates to align them with real costs and introduction of new financing tools, such as a European fund for water or Blue Bonds.
