Capri without water, tankers arriving from Naples. «An emergency never seen before»

Tankers and several tankers are arriving on the island of Capri to resolve a water emergency “never seen before” as the mayor of Capri Paolo Falco says. A meeting of the crisis unit which also includes the mayor of Anacapri has just ended Alessandro Scoppa, the two municipal councils of the island, civil protection and hoteliers looking for a solution to stem the emergency after the explosion of the pipeline in the territory of Castellammare di Stabia on Thursday morning. «We have been receiving reassurances from Gori (the company that manages water services) for 48 hours, but it is a very serious shortcoming for which we are criticizing severely» Mayor Falco tells Adnkronos. «Fortunately, with the staff we are in constant contact even at night with the Prefecture of Naples and we have asked for tankers to be sent to pump water into the island’s pipes» adds the mayor of Capri. Apparently, the water shortage is due to a “wall of air” that formed inside the pipeline after the fault and which is creating obstruction in some areas of the Sorrento Peninsula and towards the island. «In the last communication, Gori assured us of a return to normality by midday, but now we have doubts that it could happen before tonight» adds Paolo Falco. As regards the distribution of water «it will take place on the street already in the early afternoon with civil protection and traffic police», while for tourists Capri is ready to limit the disembarkation ban: «We want to facilitate access to those who have already booked and to those owns houses, always with the hope of being able to offer them every service.” «We are doing everything we can and we are all at work, coordinating the operations. We hope to return to normality as soon as possible” concludes the mayor of Capri, Paolo Falco.

The municipal administrations of Capri and Anacapri have set up a joint crisis unit, in which the hoteliers’ association also participates, to manage the water emergency caused by the failure of the pipeline that supplies the island. Rigid a Marina Grande checks by the police, the seaside village appears unusually deserted for a hot Saturday in June.

It is hypothesized that an air bubble or an accumulation of material may have been created inside the pipes, which were the subject of a repair on the mainland, which prevents the water from reaching the island’s distribution network.

There are currently no particular problems on the island, even if the mayors recommend limiting consumption as much as possible. Many hotels are equipped with independent tanks, as are many homes, but as a precaution the population is stocking up on mineral water in shops and supermarkets. The transport of goods and all other supplies continues regularly.

The stop to the disembarkation of tourists on Capri due to the water emergency is causing consequences in the ports of departure towards the blue island, starting from Beverello Pier of Naples where there are currently long queues of passengers at the ticket offices of the shipping companies. The order from the mayor of Capri was notified shortly after nine o’clock (in some cases by the police directly at the company box offices), causing an immediate stop to ticketing; the ships and hydrofoils that had already left for Capri were contacted via radio by the maritime authority who ordered their return to port and the disembarkation of passengers. To the Beverello the companies are refunding hundreds of tickets even though many tourists preferred not to miss the day’s excursion and chose alternative destinations by boarding hydrofoils to Ischia, Sorrento or the Amalfi Coast. Calmer situation at the port of Sorrento, the other departure hub for Capri from where the departures of many tourists were scheduled this morning; long but orderly queues and tourists waiting for refunds or to leave for other locations reachable by sea.