Bari to overhaul sewage system while Tronto river gets plastic barriers in Italy

In Bari, the municipal authority and water utility Aqp have approved a €28 million project to separate black and white water streams and prevent beach closures during heavy rain. The three‑year programme, using micro‑tunnelling (no‑dig) technology, will link a new lift station to two gravity collectors that discharge to the Bari Est treatment plant, with work slated for completion by 2029.

On the Adriatic side, a floating barrier installed on the Tronto River as part of the Plasticentro programme has intercepted roughly 13,000 m³ of waste, about 78 % of which is plastic. Launched on 31 October 2025 by Legambiente, the Ispra research institute and the central‑Appennine river‑basin authority, the system is funded under Italy’s “salvamare” law and aims to stop river‑borne litter from reaching the sea.