An investment of 80 million euros to reduce water losses in 133 municipalities in the Milan area, replacing 18 km of pipes and using cutting-edge digital technologies for real-time monitoring and predictive fault analysis. This is the ambitious plan of Gruppo CAP to reduce losses in the network, which has entered the operational phase with 8 construction sites already underway and 3 more ready to start work.
The project is funded with 42 million euros from the NRRP obtained by Gruppo CAP together with the Metropolitan City of Milan Local Authority (ATO), which will allow the continuation of the network digitalisation already started by the Lombard utility in recent years. The roadmap, which, like all NRRP projects, looks ahead to 2026, provides for the implementation of dozens of measures to reduce losses, which will make it possible to save 13.5 million cubic metres of water per year, reduce CO emissions2 by 1.65 million kg per year and consume 4.3 million kWh less energy per year. When we talk about water networks, we are talking about a complex and vast system made up of thousands and thousands of kilometres of pipes that connect every home, shop and business in Italy. The situation of water supply in Italy varies considerably from region to region: leakage along the national water network ranges from 14% in Milan to 72% in some areas of southern Italy, with an average of 42%. In more than 50% of Italian municipalities, total water losses exceed 35% of the volume fed into the network (ISTAT data). The reason?
About 60% of the national network is over 30 years old and 25% is over 50 years old. In Lombardy, where there has been frequent talk of declaring a state of emergency due to the drought, the average level of water scarcity is 23.4%. Gruppo CAP has always believed in technological innovation and continually invests in research and development to improve the efficiency of its services. CAP already has a leakage rate of 19.9%, significantly lower than the national and European average (23%), and aims to reduce it further to 15% by 2033.
The financing granted to Gruppo CAP and the Metropolitan City of Milan ATO amounts to 42,526,377 euros and contributes to a total investment by the company of 79,446,801 euros and will allow the adoption of increasingly innovative technologies and the strengthening of monitoring tools, developing modelling tools for maintenance and predictive planning for 133 municipalities: SAR images (Synthetic Aperture Radar, which uses radar that can penetrate the ground to a depth of 3-4 metres, allowing it to detect even hidden leaks and to obtain high-resolution images from a great distance for better and faster repair planning); noise loggers, i.e. software for real-time modelling of aqueduct networks (digital twin); DSS (Decision Support System), systems developed on the basis of asset management technologies and based on the analysis of a series of parameters with the aim of better planning interventions according to a proactive rather than reactive approach. It will also be possible to replace 18 km of network, which will be added to the 46 km already built in the period 2020-2022; finally, in the two-year period 2024-2025, 40,000 next-generation smart meters will be installed, of which 22,000 will be financed thanks to European funds. The 42 million euros to renew the water network is not the only funding CAP is managing under the NRRP. The utility also received 50 million euros for the Metropolitan City Spugna project to implement 90 sustainable urban drainage projects in 32 municipalities, rehabilitating a total area of 530,000 square metres, and another 2 million euros to develop a district heating project. Overall, CAP will manage almost 100 million euros thanks to the NRRP funds.