COMO – The Como Acqua investment project “Reduction of losses in water distribution networks, through digitalisation and monitoring of the networks in 40 Municipalities of the Como ATO” has obtained a non-repayable contribution of 13,653,305 euros from the MIT (Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport), financed by the European Union through the “NextGenerationEU” plan.
For the second time a project of the Single Manager of the Integrated Water Service of the Province of Como has been recognized as worthy of the assignment of PNRR resources, in this case for the M2C4 – I4.2 line (“Reduction of losses in the distribution networks of the water, including digitalisation and network monitoring”).
This is a project – written with a knowledge-based approach best practices international – to contribute locally, compared to the well-known national criticality of high network water losses (national average 42.4%), to the achievement of the general objectives of European water legislation, adaptation to climate change and sector regulation .
Specifically, the project – with a total value of 21,601,705 euros, with a timetable that sets the conclusion of the works by 30 March 2026 – aims to reduce water losses in 40 municipalities in the Como area, through an intervention divided into two lots: 1) digitalisation, modelling, districtisation and monitoring of network flows and pressures; 2) continuous monitoring of volumes delivered to end users.
The Company’s objective is to carry out the “districtisation” of the network for an extension of 1,506 km, compared to the over 5,000 km in total managed by Como Acqua, an activity which will allow optimization in the management of the infrastructure, with consequent reduction losses and energy savings, as well as a clear reduction in the emission of climate-altering gases.
Following the recent increase in the financial allocation for the fight against water losses, the Ministry, which had already admitted the Como Acqua project to financing – without however financing it, due to lack of funds -, was now able to assign the contribution available for the implementation.
“Considering that the national water network dates back mostly to the 1960s and that due to this age, approximately 40% of the drinking water introduced into the distribution cycle is lost along the way, the need for structural interventions is now mandatory to avoid a waste that we can no longer afford – he comments the President of Como Acqua -, especially given that climate changes do not allow us to predict the future availability of the resource”.
The fight against water losses therefore has a strongly “green” nature and the PNRR can contribute to overcoming a very challenging phase from an environmental point of view, supporting the planning of a different future for the next generations.
The implementation of the financed projects requires commitment and Como Acqua demonstrates strong determination in this sense, feeling encouraged by the institutions when they concretely recognize the value of its objectives for the benefit of the territory.
