Acea is under investigation for culpable environmental disaster but will be able to perpetuate the alleged crime. The Lazio Region, in fact, on the evening of July 28, the day that was to mark the stop to withdrawals from Lake Bracciano, announced the decision to grant an extension until September 1. At minimal levels, but still pejorative of the serious situation in which the body of water pours
That's it under investigation for culpable environmental disaster but it can perpetuate the alleged crime. The Lazio Region, in fact, on the evening of July 28, the day that was to mark him stop to withdrawals at Lake Bracciano, announced the decision to grant one extension until 1 September. At minimal levels, but still pejorative of the serious situation into which the body of water pours.
“Faced with the risk, formalized yesterday by Acea Ato2, that there may be serious problems for the water supply of hospitals and the fire network, we have issued a new ordinance which confirms the blocking of catchments from Lake Bracciano starting from September XNUMXst and introduces the possibility of withdraw from the lake 400 liters per second until 10 August and 200 liters per second from 11 August”Announces the Region, leaving everyone perplexed to say the least.
Perhaps therefore (even if we cannot know because the letter was not made available) this was precisely the content of the mysterious letter sent to the Region by Acea, which on July 28 itself told us on the phone: "Our President sent a letter to the President of the Region Nicola Zingaretti, asking to implement all appropriate and necessary measures to avert the scenario (the water rationing of the capital, editor's note), which would also involve hospitals and entail serious risks for public health ".
Are the withdrawals from Lake Bracciano really essential?
It is clear that water rationing would have been a scenario to be averted, but averted drying up of the Bracciano lake no less urgent measure appears. The Lazio Region has formally claimed that it has implemented interventions to recover water resources, yet Lake Bracciano appears to be indispensable.
But is this really the case? In an official note addressed to the Department of Environmental Policies of the Lazio Region, Acea communicated that the withdrawals from Lake Bracciano represent the8% of the capital's water needs. So why should the stop involve water rationing?
To better understand the situation we interviewed again Enrico Stronati, President of the 'Progetto Comune' Association, which for months has been denouncing the situation which has now become unsustainable.
"Responding to a request for clarification from the Lazio Region, the requirement met by Lake Bracciano, declared by Acea in a note in early July, is equal to8% - Stronati confirms - So it is not clear how the stop to the captations has repercussions on 50% of the Roman population. This is the objection that has been raised and that is supported by all of us ”.
As underlined by the President of Progetto Comune, the question is very complicated by the fact that it exists total lack of objective information. “It is not given to anyone to know how things really are, when it is detected, if there are peaks, what is the average flow rate”. Information that comes only from Acea.
"Acea, in the data that it had released on 23 May, had informed of the need for collection month by month, and had already announced that it would withdraw" only "800 liters per second, this because in August it is the practice for Rome to be emptied of its residents who go on vacation ”, Stronati tells us, who however reiterates how the whole situation was taken "lightly".
“It should be understood if there are any personalities in all this, where instead it should be used only of objectivity - he continues - I would not want you not to agree with those who raised the problem. L'humility sometimes it is pushed aside and people become presumptuous feeling right with their own thesis ”.
Recall that the lake has no tributaries, and therefore can "repopulate" only with the rains and that in any case the reload time is 6 months. Furthermore, summer precipitations have a completely different effect, for obvious reasons linked to the temperature which more easily causes evaporation, but also due to ecotranspiration and other completely "summer" causes.
An extension that will make the situation worse
The extension, however, is not at the previous levels of uptake, but has been granted at minimum levels. The problem is that the lake basin it is not healthy at all. "We know very well that from a technical and scientific point of view it is not possible to interrupt the flow of water at the treatment plant, which carries out biological-organic purification - Stronati specifies - The sand beds that make the filtration need to be sprayed, therefore no one asked to leave the whole system dry, but it is necessary to understand if the 400 liters per second granted now will be actually respected".
The incidence of this withdrawal would in fact appear imperceptible in a healthy basin, which is definitely not Lake Bracciano. "These withdrawals are added to the climatic conditions of a 'hot summer with no rainfall". So the effects in September will not be like those expected with 800 liters per second and 1400 from September onwards, but they will still occur ”.
The investigation against Acea for environmental disaster
In all this we remember that Acea has been under investigation for culpable environmental disaster. However, it can continue to draw water from the lake. “There are two different levels of responsibility - explains Stronati - The ordinance of Zingaretti was given to avert the real environmental disaster. The extension was given for health and hygiene reasons. In fact, according to the declarations of Acea, but also of Minister Lorenzin (parliamentary question 3-03187, Editor's note), the stop to the collection would have involved the lack of water even in hospitals, nursing homes. The investigation against Acea, on the other hand, started with a complaint made by the Committee for the Defense of Lake Sabatino and by a deputy for violation of concessions".
Underneath all this, in fact, the same matrix reigns, as Stronati reiterates: "Acea uses Lake Bracciano as ordinary water supply, which is not contemplated in the concession ".
We hope, together with Progetto Comune, that the final decision is not that of modify the concession so that the lake does not officially become the ordinary source of water, because the body of water is obviously not capable of tolerate these stresses.
We recommend watching this video: "Lake Bracciano between drought and withdrawals”By Luca Tedesco and Valerio Passa, who take stock of the tragic environmental situation in which the whole lake territory is found.
Roberta de carolis
