Roman citizens who will remain in the capital between the end of July and the month of August risk having to face water rationing, for 8 hours a day starting from Friday 28 July. It is, more than anything else, a threat launched by Acea - the multi-utility of which the Municipality of Rome is a 51% shareholder - following the stop, decided by the Lazio Region, on the withdrawal from Lake Bracciano.
The situation is very complicated, made up of not too veiled accusations and barbs. The Governor of the Lazio Region Nicola Zingaretti he raised the alarm, declaring last Friday, in no uncertain terms, that "the water is about to run out in Rome". The drought emergency (it hasn't rained in the capital for more than a month now) is putting Rome in a really uncomfortable situation, considering that the sources from which the water comes are in serious difficulty.
The capital's water supplies come 85% from springs, 12% from wells and 3% from surface sources (such as Lake Bracciano). There are four main springs: Peschiera-Capore (located in the province of Rieti, it supplies more than 70% of the water, about 1,4 million cubic meters per day), Acqua Marcia, Appio-Alessandrino and Simbrivio Doganella. According to what is certified by Acea, the sources are in exceptional lean, with an average flow rate 20% lower than in 2014.
Acea responded harshly to the block decided by the Region on withdrawals from Lake Bracciano, which arrived after insistent warnings from the municipalities of the lake district. The multiutility of viale Ostiense has defined the order of Zingaretti unilateral ed illegitimate, describing the serious consequences that could fall on Roman citizens: "The drastic reduction in the influx of water to the capital's water network will force us, in fact, to implement a rigid rotation in the supply that will concern about 1.500.000 Romans" - yes reads in a press release from Acea spa. “The opening and closing gate valves and a hydraulic siphon that automatically defuses the pipes".
It is obviously in everyone's interest to avoid rationing, which it would leave 1,5 million "dry" Roman users for 8 hours a day, a good third of the day, starting from Saturday 28 July. However, it will not be easy to find an alternative solution, given that the three parties involved seem to be interested only in unloading each other's blame. The Common believes that the match is between Acea and the Region. However, Zingaretti continues to claim that he has only complied with the law by blocking withdrawals from Lake Bracciano, focusing on the Municipality to get out of the impasse. Acea, on the other hand, seems to block, continuing to repeat that the only possible way is that of rationing.
Il Plan B which the Region is working on is the following: raise the level of withdrawals from other sources serving the capital, especially from the Peschiera aqueduct. The agreement still seems distant, and most likely it will also be necessary to involve the Civil Protection.
What is strange about this whole story is the enormous disproportion between the lack of Bracciano's contribution to the city's water (8%) and the rationing for even half of the users. A paradox.
And Mayor Virginia Raggi? For her part, she limited herself to expressing "concern, hoping that everything possible will be done to ensure water for citizens, hospitals, firefighters, commercial activities". La Raggi then took advantage of the opportunity to declare that she was "the first to denounce the dramatic situation of Lake Bracciano".
The contribution to the affair of the Raggi junta stops for now at a guide of 10 tips for saving water in the city. Everyone's hope is to arrive at next Friday with a valid alternative (perhaps different from "take a shower instead of a bath"), to avoid having to use remedies which, in a city that defines itself as "metropolitan", shouldn't even be taken into consideration.
