Italian regions grapple with water emergencies in Maddalusa and Lombardy

In Agrigento province, mayor Michele Sodano sent a letter to Sicily’s regional president Renato Schifani asking the regional government to intervene in the long‑standing water supply problem in the Maddalusa neighbourhood, where hundreds of families lack tap water. He argues the issue exceeds municipal competence and urges urgent action to protect vulnerable residents.

In northern Italy, Lombardy is experiencing a structural water shortage after a winter with 1.3 billion m³ of snow melt versus the 20‑year average of 2.3 billion m³, and an early melt that left lake storages 40 % below expectations by June. Lakes such as Maggiore (10 days of autonomy) and Como (14 days) have limited reserves. Regional authorities have ordered increased releases from hydroelectric reservoirs and relaxed ecological‑flow limits, measures that affect downstream ecosystems and agriculture in the Veneto and Romagna deltas.

In the Sicilian town of Ribera, the farmers’ association Liberi Agricoltori highlighted severe leaks and structural deterioration in the Castello dam’s water conduit, causing prolonged irrigation interruptions and water loss estimated at double the needed volume. They called on the municipal council and regional water authorities for an urgent replacement of the conduit.