European water management is shifting toward industrial models, balancing public ownership with private involvement for efficiency.
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Over the last thirty years, many European countries have opened water management to the market. While water is considered public property, it requires industrial management for processes like purification and network maintenance, which necessitates fees to cover costs. In Italy, a significant amount of treated water is lost through leaks (42.2% of total input). Water service management varies across the country; only 54% of the population lives in areas managed by a single entity, while the remaining 46% are served by fragmented or direct municipal management, often with lower standards, particularly in Southern and island regions. Management models include public control with private minority shareholders, as seen in Rome with Acea, or fully public entities like Abbanoa in Sardinia. The discussion emphasizes that involving private entities should be viewed as industrial management of the entire system rather than privatization, while strictly opposing water being managed by private speculation.
