Water Profiteers Thrive in Sicily as Drought Intensifies
A drought on the Italian island of Sicily has become so severe that many residents of the city of Caltanissetta have been without running water for two months, leading to handsome profits for unauthorised private sellers.
In a situation more readily associated with a developing country than an advanced European economy, thousands of Sicilians are getting their water from individuals and groups who distribute it from self-operated tanker trucks at inflated prices.
After four years of rainfall well below the historical average, the Italian government declared a state of emergency in May to try to better manage resources until the autumn rainy season, but since then things have only got worse.
Water is rationed in dozens of central Sicilian towns, leaving citizens to rely on supplies from tankers that can cost families and businesses an average of 300 euros ($333) per month.
"Every 15 or 20 days I have to call water trucks to fill the tanks I have at home," said Alberto Micciche, who lives in the Poggio Fiorito district on the outskirts of Caltanissetta.
The cost of an 8,000-litre truckload has doubled from a year ago to about 100 euros, Micciche said. He then has the additional cost of electricity to pump the water from the tanks to his kitchen or bathroom.
"Just turning on a tap is expensive," he said.
In the rest of Caltanissetta the authorities ensure regular water supplies for just a few hours per week or every two weeks, depending on the neighbourhood.
Chronic water shortages are nothing new to Sicilians, many of whom have storage tanks on their roofs or underground to face periods of scarcity, but these are proving insufficient as droughts become longer and more severe.
Source: Reuters
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