In recent years, the theme of water bills It has become increasingly relevant in Italy, not only for the economic impact on families, but also for the structural critical issues related to the management of the water service. According to an analysis conducted by the social status, tax and social security policies of the UIL, the problem are not only the increases in the bill, in fact there is a particularly complex situation in many areas of the country, especially in the South.
In southern Italy, about a third of the cities has undergone rations of water, with disservices that involved over 2.3 million families, as reported by Istat. The main cause is attributable to obsolete water networks, poor maintenance and losses that exceed the threshold of 45.5% at national level. In some regions, such as Calabria And Sicilythe situation is even more critical: some networks disperse more than half of the water entering water.
The increase in water bills
The picture emerges in a context already marked by an increase in water rates. From the same study of the social status and tax policies of UIL, it is revealed that in 2025 a family type of three with an annual consumption of 180 cubic meters will pay on average 497 euroscompared to the 473 euros of the previous year.
It is a 5%increase, higher than the inflation rate scheduled for the same year. In some areas of the North East, the increase reaches up to 33 euros more (+7.03%), while in Central Italy, where average expenditure reaches 681 euros per year, there is an increase of 21 euros (+3.18%). In the North West, the bill rises from 372 to 396 euros (+6.45%). In the south and in the islands, the average increase is 19 euros (+4.49%), bringing the expense to 442 euros.
The most expensive cities in terms of annual expenditure are Livorno (844 euros), Frosinone and Pisa (837 euros), Grosseto and Siena (819 euros), Arezzo (800 euros), Florence, Pistoia and Prato (751 euros) and Carrara (746 euros). On the contrary, the cities where you spend less are Isernia, Milan, Campobasso, Cosenza, Savona, Trento, Naples, Monza, Avellino and Ragusa, with an expense between 159 and 276 euros per year.
Low rates but poor services
According to Uil, the lower cost does not necessarily equate to greater efficiency. In the South, for example, they only invest 30 euros per inhabitant per yearagainst the 95 euros of the Center-North. This leads to a vicious circle characterized by low rates, poor services, deteriorated networks and difficulty in accessing the PNRR funds, due to the lack of technical or qualified personnel projects.
Uil also highlights how at least 20 PNRR measures, many of which are linked to water and energy projects, are in difficulty. Some races are deserted and numerous works are firm. In particular, the projects relating to the “water networks in the South” are blocked, while water losses continue to increase.
The UIL survey has processed data from public and private managers of the water service, as well as Istat information. The tariffs considered include a fixed fee and a variable linked to consumption, contributions that are defined in the bill and 10%VAT, and refer to the years 2024 and 2025 for the domestic use of resident families
