For four years, rainfall on the island of Sicily has been more than scarce and water supplies – almost sold out. In many places, water arrives by tankers. Prices skyrocket, and speculators profit from people's misery.
Back in May, the Italian government declared a state of emergency, but the situation continued to worsen. The drought on the Italian island of Sicily is so severe that the town of Caltanissetta has been without running water for two months. Private companies that illegally sell water are profiting from the crisis.
"Every tap is expensive"
Water is in short supply in dozens of Sicilian towns, and citizens rely on supplies from tankers, which cost families and businesses an average of 300 euros a month, according to Reuters. “Every 15 to 20 days I have to call tankers to fill the tanks at home”, says Alberto Michique, who lives in the suburbs of Caltanissetta.
The price of an 8,000 liter water tank has doubled in the last year and now costs around 100 euros, Michike says. In addition, he has to pay for the electricity that is needed to pump the water to the kitchen and bathrooms. “Every turn on the tap is expensive”, the man complains.
In other parts of Caltanissetta, the authorities only provide water for a few hours a week. Chronic water shortages are nothing new for Sicilians, many of whom have water tanks on their roofs or in their basements. But they are insufficient when droughts are too long.
Prices rise and speculators profit from the drought
Water shortages are also affecting businesses, including restaurants, where prices are skyrocketing. “Many tanker owners know we are stuck and are taking advantage of the situation. It's like we're being blackmailed, he told Reuters. Michele Tornatore, who has a restaurant in Caltanissetta. “By law, water in Italy must be available to everyone and cannot be sold, and private wells, for example, are for personal use only”, he says.
Only authorized private tankers can deliver water from public sources by charging for transportation. They themselves have to pay a fee to the official water supplier in the area. But the rules are often not followed or circumvented. Many tankers are unregistered and operate without regulation, supplying water from uncontrolled sources of questionable quality. Authorities in several Sicilian towns have already fined people for illegally selling water.
The problem will get worse
Scientists predict that the problems with the lack of rainfall in Sicily will worsen in the coming years. According to the environmental expert Leonardo Noto from the University of Palermo, it will rain less often in the future, but more intensively. Continued light rain that irrigates the soil will decrease. According to some experts, by 2030 one third of the territory of Sicily may become a desert.
According to the experts, the water shortage in Sicily is not only the result of climate change - many water pipes on the island are destroyed, and there is no long-term strategy to deal with the problem. Experts talk about political inaction and bad governance. In addition, while many places on the island suffer from drought, the pools of hotels where foreign tourists vacation are full. The authorities are doing everything possible so that tourists do not find out about the problems, including in the southern areas that are particularly hard hit - such as the “Valley of Temples” near Agrigento. And the industry fears that the ongoing problem will negatively affect the flow of tourists.