Italy’s Water‑loss Crisis Costs €9.8 bn Annually, Lazio Leads with €1.5 bn Losses

A study by the CGIA research office in Mestre finds that 42 % of Italy’s potable water is lost in distribution networks, amounting to roughly 3.8 billion cubic metres in 2022 and an estimated economic impact of €9.8 billion per year. The loss translates to about 157 litres of water per person each day.

Lazio records the highest monetary loss, with €1.5 billion in wasted water, followed by Sicily and Lombardy. Regional dispersion rates vary widely: Basilicata tops the chart at 65.5 % loss, while Emilia‑Romagna, Valle d’Aosta and Lombardy perform best with losses around 30 % or less. Cities such as Potenza, Chieti and L’Aquila experience the greatest local losses, exceeding 70 %.

The CGIA attributes the waste to aging pipes, ruptures, faulty metering and illegal connections, and urges immediate investment in infrastructure upgrades and rain‑water recovery, which currently captures only about 10 % of potential supply.