Trapani water service crisis blocks access to social water bonus

In several municipalities of the Trapani province that were formerly served by the Ente Acquedotti Siciliani (EAS), now under compulsory administration, thousands of residents cannot obtain the legally‑entitled social water bonus. Consumerismo No Profit lodged a complaint with the national regulator ARERA, highlighting that the bonus – which provides 50 litres of water per person per day and is worth roughly €27 per year per person – cannot be automatically granted because no water operator issues bills or manages connections in the former EAS area.

The association has asked ARERA to clarify whether bonuses accrued since 2021 remain payable, who must recognize them in the absence of an operator, and how past years’ entitlements will be settled. Meanwhile, residents affected by recent water‑quality emergencies and service interruptions have been urged by lawyer Vincenzo Maltese, a regional director of Codici Sicilia, to submit a certified email (PEC) to the Comune di Trapani to claim reimbursement for expenses such as water transport, tank emptying, and system sanitisation. Maltese cited a 2016 court ruling in Erice that granted compensation for similar disruptions. Water quality in parts of Trapani and Erice remains substandard, with yellowish water and ongoing supply limitations.