Drought in Agrigento: the paradox of neighboring towns – one dry, the other not

Last Updated: June 20, 2024

Explain to me briefly the following article:
In the Agrigento area, it happens that the municipality of Cammarata has water every day, while the neighboring one, San Giovanni Gemini, is subject to severe water supply shifts. How is this possible? The first manages its own water resources autonomously and does not provide water to the neighboring town. This situation is common in the area, especially in mountainous towns where there are water sources. The paradox is highlighted by the engineer Giuseppe Riccobene, who has worked on water issues multiple times, even with the prefectural management of emergencies.
The engineer distinguishes between the drinking water system (for domestic use) and that of agriculture and animal husbandry, which is a much more difficult problem to solve. The engineer is convinced that water in households could be delivered regularly, rather than with shifts longer than a week as has been happening in Agrigento for 50 years.
Although the law allows for autonomous water management, “the system should be subject to serious controls, but this does not happen. The excess water, which mainly comes from springs, is often not captured and used and ends up in rivers. Autonomous management can exist, but only under certain conditions. And it is precisely these conditions that are not examined.”
As for the leaky networks, the latest data on water leakage concerning Agrigento stands at 58%. “Leakage is measured by calculating the difference between the water entering the network and that which is billed. The 58% includes losses but also any theft.”
The water network in Agrigento was supposed to be rebuilt, but the funding expired at the end of last year without being able to start the work. First, a wrong tender was made, then it was redone, but in the meantime, the funds were returned. “Recently, the President of the Region said that the project will be refinanced. We’ll see,” says Riccobene.