Malcesine Lifts Water Ban After Nitrate Levels Return to Normal

Malcesine. Alarm level lowered. The tap water in the town of the upper lake is now deemed safe to drink again. On Tuesday late afternoon, the mayor Giuseppe Lombardi issued an ordinance revoking the previous communication issued on the last Friday of December.

In essence, routine checks conducted by the hygiene and nutrition services (Sian) of Ulss 22 detected a presence of nitrates in the municipal water supply at 53 mg/l, exceeding the limit of 50 mg/l set by the Presidential Decree (Dpr) 236/88.

The health authority’s notification, received by the municipality on December 27, led two days later to the mayor’s ordinance banning “all residents of the town from using the municipal water supply for human consumption.” Additionally, Lombardi ordered “the immediate closure of public drinking fountains.”

There was no issue for residents in the hamlets of Navene and Cassone, since the ‘offending’ well was identified only as the Paina well. The nitrate levels measured on Tuesday were within the normal range (45 mg/l), allowing the mayor to revoke the ban.

«After multiple water sampling and tests conducted on the municipal water by Lachiver of Verona,» writes Lombardi, «the nitrate levels have returned to within acceptable parameters, permitting the use of the water for human consumption.» However, the causes behind the temporary nitrogen increase remain unknown at this time.