There is a drought alarm in Calabria with springs falling by 50% and the Menta dam at 47% of its maximum reservoir capacity. Signs that suggest “a difficult summer”.
This was reported by the sole director of Sorical – a regional water management company – to some administrators who in recent days have been asking the company to increase supplies. The company is alerting the Prefectures and Civil Protection about the state of the ongoing serious water shortage, which could worsen in the coming weeks.
To the pressing requests to supply more water, “it is not always possible – Cataldo Calabretta points out -. Instead, it is necessary for mayors to issue ordinances that limit or prohibit the use of drinking water for irrigation purposes and the filling of swimming pools. It is necessary to ensure that the ordinances are enforced through the involvement of the municipal police. Without these limitations and without the sensitivity necessary to avoid waste on everyone’s part, inconveniences are destined to increase in the coming weeks.”
The Menta dam, reports a note from Sorical, has a reservoir volume of 47.7%, compared to its maximum capacity, while last year it was at around 85% and two years ago the reservoir volume was at 92%. % of maximum capacity. According to data processed by Sorical technicians, it is necessary to reduce withdrawals to guarantee the production of drinking water until next autumn.
Remaining in the Reggio area, the Tuccio aqueduct, which supplies the municipalities between Melito Porto Salvo and the southern area of Reggio Calabria, records -50% production. Significant drops have been recorded in the springs that feed various locations in the province with drops ranging from 30 to 50%. A serious drought is also affecting Palmi where Sorical has activated a technical table and, in agreement with Arrical and the Region, some private wells are being requisitioned to deal with the emergency in the coming months.
In the province of Vibo, the Conture spring for Parghelia, Zambrone and Tropea is decreasing by 40%, where it is being made up for with wells and bypasses together with other aqueduct schemes. Wells and integrations with water schemes have also been activated for other areas of the province.
The situation in the province of Crotone is also critical, in particular the Lese scheme, which serves numerous municipalities on the Crotone and Cosenza sides. Reductions in sources and flow rates are also recorded in other plants serving other locations in the area.
In the province of Catanzaro there is a full emergency in Stalettì, where municipal and regional wells have suffered a sharp drop in production.
Finally, in the province of Cosenza, the Trionto river from which Sorical draws water resources for the purification plant is also in water shortage this year. Production has dropped from over 100 liters per second to 50. Other wells have been activated to make up for the shortage and ensure resources for various municipalities in the area.
At the moment only the aqueducts of the Upper Tyrrhenian Cosentino and the Pollino area are holding up to the impact of the great heat. Sorical therefore suggests that municipal technicians close the plants at night and provide adequate information to the populations involved to contain consumption.
