Water resources, the "Sardinia paradox": users on the island are more sensitive to waste, but 51% of the water goes wasted
76% of the population is attentive and sensitive, even if one citizen out of two does not trust what comes out of the tap. Faults and the state of the pipes weigh heavily. Meanwhile, the Region launches the plan to redistribute 441 million cubic meters of "blue gold" accumulated in the reservoirs
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Sardinians are the most careful not to waste water, yet Sardinia is one of the Italian regions where the greatest number of wastes occurs, due to the problems and age of the pipelines.
A real paradox , which catches the eye when scrolling through the data from the latest Istat report on water resources in our country.
LEAKS – According to the dossier drawn up by the Institute of Statistics, Sardinia is among the nine regions where total water losses in distribution are greater than 45%, with a percentage equal to 51.3%.
It is a question, specifies Istat, of the "volume of water dispersed in the municipal networks of distribution of drinking water, calculated as the difference between the volume of water introduced into the network and the volume of water supplied for authorized uses". Leaks that are made up of a "physiological part" (equal to 5-10%), but above all of the "volume of water that escapes from the distribution system due to the age of the systems, corrosion, deterioration or breakage of the pipes or defective joints " . Not to mention the illegal connections, which affect up to 5%.
LITTLE TRUST – Again, the island is, together with Sicily, the region where the population has the least confidence in the quality of the water supplied by the taps in the house : a distrust expressed by 48.6% of residents, almost one in two citizens.
And Sardinia, together with Basilicata, is the region with the largest share of water subjected to purification treatments (79%) , due to the substantial withdrawals from watercourses and artificial basins.
IRREGULAR SERVICE - Furthermore, the Sardinians are, together with the Calabrians and Sicilians, the least satisfied users of the service, due to supply failures and irregularities, a problem reported by 32.8% of the population (the national average is 23.4% ).
NO TO WASTE – On the other hand, as mentioned, citizens on the island are the ones who in Italy pay the most attention not to waste the so-called “blue gold” , «confirming – underlines Istat – the growing awareness of the need for a correct management of natural resources. Almost eight out of 10 (precisely 76.6%) Sardinians who declare that they are sensitive to the problem.
THE INVASITION PLAN - Still on the water resources front, the Institutional Committee of the Basin Authority met, chaired by the Regional Councilor for Public Works, Pierluigi Saiu , who by delegation from the President of the Region, Christian Solinas, defined the planning of water resources for 2023, with the pre-assignment of quotas to the irrigation sector.
"Based on the survey of the water reserves accumulated in the reservoirs, as of February 28, and pending an update of the information on irrigation programming by the reclamation consortia, we deemed it appropriate to define a pre-allocation of resources limited to irrigation use, to allow the Consortia themselves to make all the technical assessments of the case, based on the user's request", explains a note from the Region.
441 MILLION CUBIC METERS – «We are talking about a plan which, apart from some differences due to specific situations, is in line with the previous year and allocates 441 million cubic meters of water divided among the various water systems of the area , with a reduction , compared to the pre-allocation of 2022, of 41 million cubic meters», explains councilor Saiu. Adding: «The quotas will in any case be reviewed periodically on the basis of monitoring of the levels of the reservoirs. In the coming months we will approve the final assignment, including the quotas for civil and industrial uses . On 28 February the reservoirs were filled to 76% of the authorized levels . In recent weeks the scenario has changed further and today's data tell us that the levels stand at 82% . Even if today the numbers do not highlight serious critical issues, the situation requires the utmost attention also in relation to the scarce rainfall which is heavily influencing other Italian and European regions".
MANAGEMENT – On the management of water reserves Saiu reiterates: « We need to review the rules to make management more efficient . Today, for safety reasons, accumulation plans are followed which provide for the assignment of maximum filling levels of the reservoirs for each month, with coefficients beyond which emptying takes place. These levels are established on the basis of a seasonal rainfall forecast. In the wettest months, the maximum levels allowed are generally the lowest. The problem occurs when, despite seasonal forecasts, rainfall is scarce . It is therefore necessary to switch to a dynamic lamination model that allows us to make the management of the resource more efficient, possibly accumulating more water when conditions make it possible. Today, in order to be able to make changes to the parameters during construction, the procedures are excessively complicated. Switching to dynamic rolling systems is not easy but it is necessary that everyone works in that direction: civil protection, reclamation consortia, local authorities, ADIS and all the subjects involved».
NEW WORKS – «It is also essential to proceed with the construction of new works, such as the Cumbidanovu dam in central Sardinia and Monte Nieddu, to the south, starting the design of ancillary works . More than 10 million euros have been allocated in the financial maneuver, a part of which, with reference to the Cumbidanovu dam, will be used for the design of the hydroelectric plant, the interconnection with the Su Tuvu wastewater plant and the distribution plant downstream», concludes the exponent of Giunta Solinas.
