- Title: Rome risks water rationing as drought-hit lake set to go offline
- Date: 26th July 2017
- Summary: ROME, ITALY (JULY 26, 2017) (REUTERS) LOW WATER LEVELS IN TIBER RIVER (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) ROME RESIDENT, SILVANA PARUOLO, SAYING: "It's incredible that the capital of Italy has got to this point today and the authorities did nothing until yesterday. It's incredible." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE IN BAR (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) RESTAURANT OWNER, EMMANUELE DE ANGELIS, SAYING: "For us who work in hospitality the situation is very serious because water is essential, first of all to wash the dishes and cutlery, to keep the restaurant clean, should this happen I'm not sure what we'd be faced with. How would we work? We would need to close. Who would refund us if we close? And more than anything who would help us to keep working. It's a serious problem and nobody has told us anything or sought to reassure us." LAKE BRACCIANO, ITALY (JULY 26, 2017) (REUTERS) MAN AND CHILDREN WALKING INTO WATER OVER SANDSPIT ROCKY LAKE SHORE EXPOSED AFTER WATERS RECEDED VARIOUS OF ROCKS EXPOSED AFTER WATERS RECEDED VARIOUS OF BRIDGE FOUNDATIONS EXPOSED AFTER WATERS RECEDED VARIOUS OF WHAT LOCALS SAY ARE UNEXPLODED WORLD WAR II BOMBS EXPOSED AFTER WATER LEVELS RECEDED, CORDONED OFF AND SURROUNDED BY STONES (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) BRACCIANO RESIDENT, ANNALISA (WHO DID NOT WANT TO GIVE HER LAST NAME) SAYING: "It's not true that the lowering of the water level in the lake is due to the drought. We've had droughts in the past, in 2003 it was particularly bad. Also in 2007 but in 2003 it was terrible, it didn't from March to September, it was very hot but lake was normal, perfectly normal. (JOURNALIST ASKING OFF CAMERA "What's happened this year?") "What's happened? They've increased the quantity of water they withdraw from the lake, that's what's happened." WATER LEVEL INDICATOR IN LAKE SANDSPIT TOWN BY LAKE
- Embargoed: 9th August 2017 16:33
- Keywords: Rome water crisis prolonged drought Lake Bracciano water withdrawal water rationing wildfires
- Location: LAKE BRACCIANO, ROME, NEAR ASCOLI PICENO AND TORPE, SARDINIA, ITALY
- City: LAKE BRACCIANO, ROME, NEAR ASCOLI PICENO AND TORPE, SARDINIA, ITALY
- Country: Italy
- Topics: Environment
- Reuters ID: LVA0036RCUZPJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Authorities have ordered a halt to pumping water out of a lake near Rome following a prolonged drought, a decision that could force city officials to impose water rationing in the Italian capital.
Local authorities and representatives of Acea, the utility firm which runs Rome's water system, are holding a series of meetings as they race to find a way to prevent rationing.
Nicola Zingaretti, the head of the local Lazio region, which is centred on Rome, said last week that the ban on withdrawing water from Lake Bracciano would come into force on Friday (July 28).
Acea has said that two years of lower-than-average rainfall have dramatically reduced water levels in reservoirs feeding the city, with a prolonged, ongoing heat wave making matters worse. But Acea attacked the order to turn off the taps at Bracciano, which is some 30 km (20 miles) north of Rome, saying the region had taken a "unilateral and illegitimate" decision.
An Acea spokesman told the national Ansa news agency that the drastic reduction of the flow of water into the capital's water network would force the firm to introduce a rigid rotation of supplies that would impact 1.5 million Romans.
Zingaretti said only 8 percent of Rome's water came from Bracciano, adding Acea had the time to find a solution.
Earlier this month, Acea started to close the drinking fountains that dot the city in an effort to safeguard supplies. Since then there has been no letup in above-average temperatures, with 2017 likely to be one of the hottest years on record in Italy. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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