The water crisis is not just a Sicilian or Messina problem, it concerns the entire country; in Sicily the situation is much more serious than in other regions. Cities like Agrigento supply water only once a week while Messina, despite all the difficulties, will only reduce the daily distribution by a few hours.
A very lively press conference held this morning at Palazzo Zanca; together with the mayor Federico Basile, the councilors Francesco Caminiti and Massimiliano Minutoli, the general director Salvo Puccio and, the top management of AMAM with the president Loredana Bonasera, the members of the Board of Directors Alessandra Franza and Adriano Grassi, the general director Pierfrancesco Donato.
Laconic but very resolute Mayor Basile who “he communicated that Messina, unlike other cities, has tried to implement important measures to try to avoid the water emergency”. The regional control room established for this purpose, Basile said, “is dealing with the problem but not yet providing adequate solutions.” This situation, Basile continued, “it existed even before the metropolitan mayor of Messina brought the problem to light, even before March 2024, when Messina and Amam had already planned interventions aimed at reducing a gap”.
Even today, stated Mayor Basile, “We are still awaiting a response from the regional control room”. Fundamental objective, Basile announced, “is to find new resources such as the Briga wells, all this, not to guarantee a service to the Basile or De Luca administration but to the city”. In consideration of the crisis, concluded Mayor Basile, “There needs to be a greater sense of responsibility on the part of citizens, avoiding unnecessary waste such as washing the car or watering the gardens”.
President Amam taking up the considerations expressed by Mayor Basile, “announced that a remodulation of water distribution timetables has been planned for the entire city. Just a couple of hours and not an interruption that would suggest a total emergency.” President Bonasera declared that “starting today, citizens will receive updated information regarding water supply for hours and days.”
Since 2018, Amam has continued Bonasera “has planned a series of interventions such as the new Montesanto reservoir which, by December, should come into operation and guarantee an important water reserve”. Furthermore, in consideration of the fact that almost 50% of the water does not reach the homes of the people of Messina but is lost in the ground due to the age of the city’s tertiary network, Amam, declared the president, “during the scheduled interruption steps to intervene in the Fiumefreddo pipeline, work began to replace the city’s tertiary network thanks to the funds received with the projects financed with the PNRR”.
On this aspect, he spoke again Mayor Basile who, “without controversy but with great political clarity, we wanted to remove a few pebbles from the shoe by blaming the sieve reality of the city’s tertiary network on those who, for approximately thirty years, have never implemented any intervention despite knowing the gravity of the situation” . No intervention, Basile stated, “but no planning, a sign of inaction and perhaps a lack of foresight for a vital problem like water”.
Also the general manager Salvo Puccio “informed that on the Fiumefreddo aquifer there is a reduction of 1/2 meter relating to water collection”. For this reason, continued Puccio, “Amam is working to compensate for this decrease with a more complete vision of the interventions to be implemented which also concern the use of water not only for civil use”. The new wells, like the one in Brig, said Puccio, “they will be able to play a complete role, other springs will be able to introduce water into the city network”.
Messina is divided into small water districts, 77 micro areas, so the reduction will depend on the areas and the number of users connected to the wells.
Despite that, the mayor Federico Basile “he wanted to reassure above all the commercial activities that use water for work purposes, barbers and hairdressers above all but also bars and restaurants; none of them will be abandoned, the municipal administration and Amam will implement replacement interventions to meet their needs”.
On the Amam website it is possible to view the areas and times of daily water supply.
