Abruzzo water supply cuts amid drought

In early July, the mayor of Chieti called for an urgent meeting after residents reported overnight interruptions to their water supply, highlighting growing pressure on the region’s drinking‑water network.

By the end of July, the regional water operator, Società Abruzzese Servizi Idrici (SASI), announced formal water‑distribution restrictions across Abruzzo. From July 27 to August 3, municipalities such as Vasto received water for only 10–14 hours daily, while scheduled work on the Acquedotto Sinello forced fifteen communes in the province of Chieti to go without water for several hours on July 29‑30. SASI urged residents to store water and limit usage while the upgrades and drought‑related limits were in place.

The same restrictions were reported on July 29‑30 as part of a wider heatwave that has pushed water shortages across Italy. In the north, the Po River basin is flowing at just 25‑30 % of normal, prompting alerts for more than 100 municipalities in Piemonte and Lombardy, where a 50 % water deficit threatens rice irrigation. Authorities have secured additional water from Swiss hydroelectric reservoirs and negotiated extra supplies with Italian energy concessionaires such as Enel. While the broader crisis affects multiple regions, Abruzzo remains under the same limited‑hour supply regime introduced in late July.