IN DEEP WATER

Inside the sicilian water crisis

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The water crisis has gripped Sicily since 2023. Today, the island is experiencing a condition similar to wartorn countries, with some 140 municipalities with drinking water rationed every 6/7 days, almost barren water reservoirs and crumbling infrastructure. The most serious case is the Province of Enna, where water reserves are estimated to be sufficient until 20 November 2024. After this date, if no alternative sources of supply are found, approximately 250,000 inhabitants will remain without water.

     The low rainfall and temperatures well above the seasonal average did not allow the filling of reservoirs and lakes used for water supply. In fact, already at the end of February, the reservoirs showed a net usable volume of available water resources of 158.03 million cubic me- tres (Mmc), considerably less than the 317.45 Mmc forecast for the period from March to December 2023, thus showing a deficit of more than 50%. These climatic conditions have contri-buted to a further worsening of the drought status for the current year. At the beginning of July, 6 of the 29 reservoirs in the hydrographic district of Sicily were completely dry, with a net useful volume for users of zero.

      The civil water network in Sicily has often been criticised for its old age and inefficiency. According to some data, the loss of water in the Sicilian water network is estimated at around 50%, resulting in water supply problems for civil and agricultural users. The drought has deeply affected agriculture in Sicily, with damage estimated at around EUR 2 billion. According to some estimates, the loss of agricultural production in 2024 could be between 50% and 75%.