The network and wells

The aqueduct network

The modern aqueduct is a more advanced version of ancient Roman aqueducts. Today, as in the past, we need miles and miles of pipelines and networks to supply homes with water: starting from the reservoir, pipes run underground to reach all the houses. In reality, the water travels along the aqueduct pipes to the entrance of each building.
 From that point, it is the building's internal system that distributes the water to each flat, in the same way that the condominium drains are connected to the sewerage system to transport dirty water to the treatment plants. 

This is what aqueducts are used for: they supply everyone with very high quality tap water. But where does the water we drink come from? It is groundwater, which is extracted from deep underground using wells and pumping systems (in technical jargon “abstraction”). Specifically, the water cycle inside the aqueduct consists of three main phases:

  • abstraction: this consists of extracting the water from the aquifer and introducing it into the distribution network. Unlike surface water, used mainly in agriculture, groundwater has the great advantage of being already naturally filtered through the permeable layers of the ground (it is often already drinkable from a physical and chemical point of view and no purification treatment is necessary).
  • purification: in the event of contamination or potential risks, the water undergoes a purification process which can involve different treatments depending on the initial quality. We have over 300 active water purification plants in the territory. The most commonly used methods for treating water before it reaches the distribution network are reverse osmosis, activated carbon, oxidation and filtration.  
  • distribution: at this point, the drinking water enters the water supply network, i.e. the final part of the aqueduct. The drinking water distribution network extends for over 4000 miles, serving 133 municipalities and covering nearly 2 million users. The water in the pipes is always pressurized to prevent any substances from infiltrating the pipes from the outside and risk contaminating it. This is how fresh, pure and safe water arrives in our homes. 

 

The acquifer

The saturation zone, or rather the phreatic zone, is an accumulation of underground water. Rainwater infiltrates the ground and runs down deep until it finds an impermeable layer that traps it. This is how natural water reservoirs are formed at different depths. Surface groundwater wells are used to collect water from the aquifer closest to the surface (40-50 m underground or even shallower). This water is not for drinking, but it is excellent for irrigating fields and, in general, for agricultural use. Using a surface groundwater well avoids the use of mains water for non-drinking purposes, thus reducing the exploitation of deep aquifers. Deep aquifers (around 100 m deep or even more) are instead a natural reservoir from which water is collected to be then distributed to homes after a series of analyses and checks.


Wells and drilling

 

The wells are used to draw water from the aquifer and can be considered the modern version of the traditional well that we all know.

Before a well is built, we need to undertake hydrogeological surveys to verify the availability of water in the subsoil, in terms of both quality and quantity.

We then drill into the ground reach one or more aquifers, located at different depths.

The well essentially consists of a hole of variable diameter (between 60 and 100 cm) into which a steel tube with a diameter between 20 and 50 cm is then inserted. Using a submersible pump, the water is raised and pushed towards the purification plant, if it is to be treated, or directly to the reservoir. 

Water reservoirs

 

Water reservoirs, commonly known as water towers, are part of the landscape of our territories, which owe so much to the presence of water and to the history of water management.

But what are these strange, tall buildings used for?

The reservoirs are used to store water temporarily and then release it as required by the water supply system. Therefore, during the hours of low consumption, the reservoir must be able to accumulate the water that arrives from the pipe, then release it during the peak hours, thus helping to maintain a balance in the delivery of the supply. This function of the reservoir is called “compensation”. 

This function is accompanied by the "reserve" function, which makes a certain volume of water available to face extraordinary situations, such as fires, malfunctions or maintenance operations.

Distribution networks

 

How does water reach our homes?

After being drawn from the aquifers and undergoing the purification process, the water is pressurized and fed into the distribution network, so that it can reach all the users of the service.

In addition to the function of water accumulation and reserve, the reservoirs also perform another important task, because they regulate the water pressure in the water supply:  from the reservoirs, the water is able to reach at least the fourth floor of buildings thanks to the sole force of gravity, without the need for pumping systems.

The water journey

Stages

Analysis and controls

We provide our customers with packages for testing the quality of their household water with sampling and parameter analysis performed in our laboratories.

Networks and citizens

We pay special attention to our customers and receive many rewards in return. Here are the results of research on a sample of 1352 customers.

Sewer link to sewer page
Safe water link to safe water page
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