During this year, in Italy, the average increase in water bills was 12,5%, that is almost 30 euros more per family. The most expensive city is Florence: a nucleus of three people pays an average of 503 euros a year (+12%). Almost four times more than those living in Milan (129 euros), even if it is 17% higher. On average, water costs more in the Center (371 euros a year), a little less in the North (271 euros) and even less in the South (254 euros). The national average is 290 euros. This is what emerges from the latest survey carried out by Altroconsumo.
The water tariffs inquiry delivered bad news. In the last two years, costs have increased almost everywhere: the highest increase was found in Aosta (42%). Double-digit increases were reported in Palermo (35%), Trieste (25%), Rome (21%), Milan, Pescara and Genoa (17%), Ancona (15%), Bari (13%), Arezzo ( 12%), Bologna, Cremona and Verona (11%), Ferrara (10%). Only three cities have kept the prices the same: Campobasso, Catanzaro and Salerno. Few contained increases: Catania (+1%), Brescia and Potenza (+3%).
According to the president of the association, Paolo Martinello, the main problem of the sector is the lack of certain rules. “After the referendum, all is not well. National regulation is needed immediately and the newborn agency, with all its handicaps, must immediately start working to supervise the application of tariffs, investment plans and to establish uniform quality standards”.
For Luciano Baggiani, president of the Association of water service managers (Anea), the problem is "the lack of homogeneity of the territory: tariffs are higher where the structural conditions require it, because fewer investments have been made in the past, because the sources they are far from inhabited centres, because the orography affects the quality of the water”. Baggiani does not rule out inefficiencies, but also says that "it is difficult to ascertain due to delays in data collection".
