World Water Day: the virtuous example of Milan

March 22nd marks World Water Day, issued by the United Nations to bring attention to the importance of tee sustainable management of freshwater resources. The title of the 2023 edition is Accelerating change, which highlights the need of finding a solution to the current water and sanitation crisis.

In Italy, 41% of drinking water is lost during transportation to the point of use, with peaks in South regions as high as 50% of the loss. The area with the least waste, 32%, is the Northwest and Milan represents a virtuous example at the national level. In fact, the city can draw from the water table, located about 100 meters deep, 100% of its drinking water, thanks to extraction from shallow wells to supply it to about 2 million people. In addition, Milan's water network control system can predict daily water demand, allowing water savings and lower energy consumption.

As a result, water waste in Milan is less than 15%, making the city an important example for the rest of the country.