The water availability detected today in the Occhito reservoir and dam which marks the border between Molise and Puglia, is almost 50 percent below that recorded on 18 June 2023. This is what emerges from the measurements carried out by the Consortium for the reclamation of the Captaincy of Foggia. Last year the water availability was 240,796,120 million meters of water, while today it is 127,634,300. The reservoir, which collects the waters of the Fortore river, has a total capacity of 333 million cubic meters, the usable capacity is 250 million. From the recent report released by the ‘Valore Acqua’ Community for Italy of The European House-Ambrosetti, it appears that Molise and Puglia are among the 12 Italian regions with high water stress. Also in the same condition are Basilicata, Calabria, Sicily, which are the most exposed of all, followed by Campania, Lazio, Marche and Umbria, Tuscany, Sardinia and Abruzzo. Meanwhile, Molise Acque has raised the alarm by writing to the Prefectures of Molise and the surrounding regions, communicating that there is a decline in the supply of deep and superficial springs. At the same time, there was an increase in water demand from municipalities compared to the same period last year.
The company therefore asks the entities involved to make adjustments to the distribution networks to avoid emptying tanks and networks. “Given the consumption and the situation – write the leaders of Molise Acque – it is more necessary than ever to carry out night closures of the water networks or what is deemed necessary to raise the water level in the tanks”.
