Italy incurs €9.8 billion yearly loss from leaking water networks

A CGIA report from Mestre estimates that 42 % of the water supplied to Italy is lost through outdated and faulty distribution networks, costing the economy about €9.8 billion each year. The average Italian wastes 157 litres of water per day, amounting to 3.8 billion cubic metres lost in 2022.

Regional leakage rates are highest in Basilicata (65.5 %), followed by Abruzzo (62.5 %), Molise (53.9 %) and Sicily (51.6 %). The most affected cities are Potenza (71 % loss), Chieti (70.4 %), L’Aquila (68.9 %), Latina (67.7 %) and Cosenza (66.5 %). In contrast, Lombardy, the Aosta Valley and Emilia‑Romagna keep losses below 32 %.

Italy also leads the EU in water consumption, withdrawing 36.5 billion cubic metres in 2023 – 49 % for agriculture, 23 % for civil use, 18 % for industry and 10 % for energy production. The report calls for reforms, including a planned reduction of water service operators in Abruzzo from six to two to improve efficiency.