Because of the persistent drought, the worst in 70 years, regions in northern Italy want to declare a state of emergency. This could give them the freedom to take emergency measures to combat water shortages. On Wednesday the Presidents of the Regions will meet with the Minister of Agriculture Stefano Patuanelli. Among other things, measures to increase the efficiency of the Italian water supply system will be discussed.
Water supply interrupted at night
The state of emergency is “inevitable,” Patuanelli said, according to media reports. “There are entire regions in Italy and Europe where it hasn’t rained for months.” The president of Piedmont, Alberto Cirio, announced that 170 municipalities in his region will only be able to use the water for essential purposes, such as drinking and preparing food. The water supply in ten cities, mostly in Novara province, is completely cut off at night.
River Po very low at 72 percent
“At the moment, the situation regarding the use of drinking water is under control, but we are experiencing a very serious emergency in agriculture. The volume of the Po River is 72% below what it should be”, informed Cirio. There’s not enough snow in the mountains to feed the river.
Water pumped out of Lake Garda
But Lake Garda also lacks water. Why: Water was now pumped out of the popular lake and fed into the Po – to counteract extreme drought in the Po Valley.
However, the proposal to withdraw more water from Lake Garda has now been rejected. According to the authorities, it would be too much damage to take more cubic meters from the lake.
The authority pointed out that the water levels of all lakes, with the exception of Lake Garda, were well below the seasonal average.
Cities must be supplied with water by truck
Meuccio Berselli, head of the Environment Agency charged with overseeing the Po River, said some northern towns had to be transported with water because of the drought. The level of Italy’s longest river has dropped three meters below average in recent years.
Lake Maggiore is close to the historic low of 1946. The Adige has a reduced flow rate of 60%. At the Ostiglia power plant near the Lombard city of Mantua, one of the three power generators has already been shut down because there is not enough water to cool the plant.
Agriculture is the hardest hit sector: according to the Cia Farmers Association, fruit and vegetable production in the Po Valley is expected to drop by 30-40%, with grains even higher and corn and soybeans falling by as much as 50%. The Piedmontese farmers association Confagri requested the declaration of a state of emergency.