2005 - 2006 - Pinsent Masons Water Yearbook 2012

ITALY PART 2: COUNTRY ANALYSIS
Italy
Economics (2003)
GDP per capita US$21,570
GDP per capita (PPP) US$26,830
Agriculture (1994) 3%
Industry (1994) 28%
Services (1994) 70%
Water quality
According to the 1991-93 survey of the 13 main rivers from a total of 156 survey sites taken from the
national network of the National Information System on the Environment (SINA), river quality in Italy is
as follows:
I-II: Good – Fair 50%
III: Polluted 32%
IV: Very Polluted 9%
V: Heavily Polluted 9%
The Rivers Po, Tiber, Adige and Arno account for 40% of Italy’s fresh water resources, with their
basins covering 35% of the surface area and 45% of the population. These four rivers are all of poor
or bad quality. The water quality in natural and man-made lakes is generally poor. This phenomenon
is particularly evident in Sardinia, where 40% of the capacity is subject to frequent algal blooms, and
Sicily, where 51% of the waters are considered to be suffering from some degree of eutrophication.
The population equivalent generated by residents, commercial and industrial users and tourists is of
99million people. 70% of the overall pollution load is subject to treatment. 80% of the industrial
effluent generation is concentrated in the Paduan basin.
Groundwater problems are mainly caused by the intensive use of herbicides and fertilisers. Problems
remain in different areas of the country with regards to the presence of nitrates in drinking water,
saline intrusions into underground coastal aquifers and the problem of the presence of organic
synthetic compounds such as organic chlorinates. Excess levels of nitrates in drinking water are a
particular problem in Tuscany, the Marches and Campania, significantly affecting water supplies for
0.67 million people. Saline intrusion into coastal aquifers in Romagna, Puglia and Sicily is also of
concern. Organic compounds are at a high level in the Po Valley, Brescia, Vicenza, Padua and La
Specia.
Algal blooms continue to be a problem in the Upper Adriatic Sea due to the discharge of untreated
effluents mainly into the river Po. According to official returns, most of the beaches meet guideline as
well as mandatory standards.
Population
Total (2003, million) 57.6
Total (2015, million) 55.1
In urban areas (2003) 67%
In urban areas (2015) 69%
In urban agglomerations (2015) 21%
Infrastructure and service provision
National gross water supply
Billion m³ Per capita
1961 5.2 297 L/day
1975 5.8 324 L/day
1998 6.8 352 L/day
2015 10.6 548 L/day
There was an average abstraction of 324L per day in 1975, with an average water supply of 174L per
day to domestic users. Urban areas have a higher than average usage: Rome; 243L per day, Milan;
300L per day and Turin; 310L per day. Access to sewerage rose from 30% in 1980 to 62% in 1987
121 Pinsent Masons Water Yearbook 2005 – 2006