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Water profiteers prosper in Sicily as drought magnifies

A drought on the Italian island of Sicily has ended up being so serious that many residents of the city of Caltanissetta have actually lacked running water for 2 months, resulting in handsome revenues for unauthorised personal sellers.

In a circumstance quicker associated with a developing country than a sophisticated European economy, countless Sicilians are getting their water from individuals and groups who distribute it from self-operated tanker trucks at inflated rates.

After 4 years of rainfall well below the historical average, the Italian government stated a state of emergency in May to attempt to much better manage resources until the fall rainy season, but ever since things have only worsened.

Water is allocated in dozens of main Sicilian towns, leaving people to depend on products from tankers that can cost households and businesses approximately 300 euros ($ 333) per month.

Every 15 or 20 days I have to call water trucks to fill the tanks I have at home, said Alberto Micciche, who lives in the Poggio Fiorito district on the borders of Caltanissetta.

The expense of an 8,000-litre truckload has actually doubled from a year earlier to about 100 euros, Micciche said. He then has the additional cost of electrical power to pump the water from the tanks to his kitchen or bathroom.

Just turning on a tap is expensive, he said.

In the rest of Caltanissetta the authorities make sure routine water materials for simply a few hours per week or every two weeks, depending upon the area.

Chronic water scarcities are nothing brand-new to Sicilians, lots of of whom have storage tanks on their roofings or underground to deal with durations of shortage, but these are proving inadequate as dry spells become longer and more serious.

' LIKE BEING BLACKMAILED'

Services requiring a continuous supply of drinking water, such as restaurants, are annoyed as demand outstrips supply and prices soar.

Numerous tanker owners understand we are in difficulty and are taking benefit of the scenario, it's like being blackmailed, said Michele Tornatore, who owns a dining establishment called 'Sale e Pepe' ( salt and pepper) in Caltanissetta.

If the tankers can get water, then why is there no water? he stated.

Officially, water is considered a public good and can not be sold by individuals, who can have private wells strictly for personal use.

Just licensed personal tankers can distribute water they have drawn from public sources, charging a transport cost. To do so, they must themselves pay a tariff to the regional official water company.

Nevertheless, the rules are routinely flouted, with potential threats to public health. Numerous tankers are not registered and operate without oversight or guideline, providing water from unchecked sources and unpredictable quality.

Authorities in several Sicilian cities have fined people thousands of euros this year for unauthorised circulation and the selling of polluted water.

Salvatore Cocina, the director of Sicily's civil defense department, said the island was looking for brand-new water sources and repairing abandoned wells, however the scenario was so crucial that in remarkable cases city mayors ought to utilize their powers to momentarily take personal wells.

As in the case of the COVID-19 emergency, everyone will need to do their part, he told Reuters.

Oscar Aiello, a member of Caltanissetta's city council, is utilizing the carrot instead of the stick by attempting to encourage well owners to share their valuable water willingly. He posted on Facebook this month that their kindness would be rewarded.

(source: Reuters)