The ongoing climate change requires the governments of the world to pay great attention to the theme ofwaterfallwhich over the years became a rare element even in areas which, previously, had never highlighted availability problems. THE’Italy It is part of the latter group, with drought problems that have been interested in some areas of the country for years, especially in the South.
To remedy the problem, a Anti drought Operational Plan started in 2018 and strengthened by the PNRR funds and which, so far, has foreseen Total investments of 5.3 billion Euro for 628 interventions. The predetermined targets, however, are affected by the high amount of water for drinking use which is taken e wastedabout half.
The waste of water extracted in Italy
In Italy there is a waste of waste of water, as highlighted by Court of Auditors with the Resolution no. 4/2025 from the Section for European and International Affairsin which the accounting judiciary analyzed at what point are we for the achievement of the goal 6 of the UN Agenda 2030 and the mitigation of damage connected to drought with the improvement of the water network.
This resource is dispersed in the potabilization treatment and in the losses of the infrastructure. Entering more specifically, every year in the country they are taken 9 billion cubic meters of water (daily sampling of 25 million), but the volume actually disbursed corresponds to just over half, or 4.6 billion cubic meters.
This deterrent phenomenon for the country is due:
- losses in the pruning treatment, for 1 billion cubic meters;
- to the inefficiency of the distribution, with the waste of about 40% of the quantity that is placed on the net, about 3.4 billion cubic meters.
Very high numbers, which compromise the position of Italy in compliance with the goal 6 of the UN Agenda 2030.
A damage also for the economy, as evident, with the revenue that today do not exceed 4 billion euros per year against a € 6 billion needs. These data on current expenses, is also specified by accounting judges, are uncertain as they are also affected by the cost of electricity in the management of the water system – about a third of the total.
The problems of the Italian water infrastructure system
The waste of water extracted in Italy derives mainly from Limits of the infrastructure system supply, pruning, sewer and purification. The 2018 Budget Law had introduced the National plan of interventions in the water sector With the aim of adapting national water infrastructures and mitigating the damage related to drought.
The project includes interventions targeted mainly on two aspects:
- Improvement of the national aqueduct system, entrusted to the Authority for electricity, gas and water system;
- improvement of the reservoirs, entrusted to the Ministry of Infrastructure.
So far invested 5.3 billion for water
To finance the interventions of the national plan of the water sector is, as specified by the Court of Auditors, in the majority the PNRR, especially as regards the investments related to the safety of the water supply and the reduction of losses in distribution networks.
At the end of 2024 him interventions underway they were in total 628with a total expense of 5.3 billion euros of which 3.7 attributable to the national recovery and resilience plan.
A large number of operations (279) concerned the use of water for irrigation purposes which, alone, represents 50% of the needs. The funds distributed, also here largely from the PNRR, were greater than 2 billion euros.
Investments for water in the various regions
The distribution of investments of the drinking water plan does not follow a homogeneous trend throughout the Italian national territory. The 5.3 billion total so far spent have been divided between:
- Abruzzo (158.2 million);
- Basilicata (167.3 million);
- Calabria (115.3 million);
- Campania (725.5 million);
- Emilia-Romagna (379.4 million);
- Friuli Venezia Giulia (68.6 million);
- Lazio (335.7 million);
- Liguria (63.8 million);
- Lombardy (465.5 million);
- Marche (154.6 million);
- Molise (122.9 million);
- Piedmont (252.7 million);
- Puglia (285.3 million);
- Sardinia (430.0 million);
- Sicily (764.1 million);
- Tuscany (262.3 million);
- Trentino Alto Adige (126.7 million);
- Umbria (117.3 million);
- Valle d’Aosta (no figure shown in the report);
- Veneto (315.0 million).
