In Italy, 42% of drinking water is lost, due to a distribution network that is now "clearly inadequate," at an estimated cost of €9.8 billion a year . In some regions, however, this percentage even exceeds 50%. Sardinia is one of these regions .
This is what the CGIA research office found, based on 2022 data (the latest available). In practice, 157 liters of water are lost every day for every Italian, for a total of 3.8 billion cubic meters lost in 2022.
"Water loss can be traced back to several factors: breaks in the pipes, the advanced age of the systems , administrative issues due to meter reading errors, and unauthorized uses, such as illegal connections," explains the Cgia.
The "most wasteful" region is Basilicata, with a water loss equal to 65.5% of what is released into the network. It is followed by Abruzzo (62.5%), Molise (53.9%), Sardinia (5 2.8%) and Sicily (51.6%). Conversely, Lombardy (31.8%), Valle d'Aosta (29.8%), and Emilia Romagna (29.7%) are the most virtuous areas of the country.
Lazio is the region with the highest economic losses, equal to 1.5 billion, followed by Sicily and Lombardy, both with just over a billion.
"The water crisis spares no one: after agriculture, livestock farming, and tourism, micro and small manufacturing businesses are now also footing the bill," the study emphasizes.
The sectors most affected by this waste, CGIA highlights, are those with high water intensity: from mining to textiles, from petrochemicals to pharmaceuticals. But the list also includes rubber, plastics, glass, ceramics, and cement, as well as the paper industry and metal processing.
(Unioneonline/lf)
