Italy faces widespread water shortages amid heatwave and drought

Heatwaves and lack of rain have forced Italian water authorities to cut supplies across multiple regions. In the Abruzzo province of Chieti, the Sasi utility will suspend tap water for up to 14 hours a day in 15 municipalities from July 29 to 30 to allow upgrades to the Acquedotto Sinello. Similar restrictions affect Vasto and neighbouring towns, where residents receive water only during limited night‑time windows.

In northern Italy, a severe drought has slashed river flows in the Po basin to 25‑30 % of normal levels, prompting a high‑level alert for more than 100 municipalities in Piemonte and Lombardy. The region of Lombardy reports a 50 % water deficit and warns that irrigating rice fields will become almost impossible after early August. Officials have secured extra water from Swiss hydroelectric reservoirs and negotiated additional supplies with Italian energy concessionaires such as Enel.

Meanwhile, in Molise, the Grim water company confirmed that recent maintenance work did not require any interruption of service, underscoring the varied impacts of the broader water crisis across Italy.