Veneto Water Project: Over 200 Billion Euros Cost, Doubling Key Pipeline

A collaborative infrastructure project has so far cost 150 billion euros, but upon completion, the total cost will exceed 200 billion euros. Among the most significant entities still to be completed in order to call the project finished is primarily the doubling of the Verona collector from Cisano to Peschiera.

After the Cisano-Punta San Vigilio segment was recently completed and successfully tested, work continues on the doubling. The doubling was already carried out in the 1990s, at a cost of over 15 billion euros, but was declared still not testable two years ago by the testing commission established by the Regione Veneto.

The reason for this declaration was a relic pipeline, unusable at the bottom of the lake, causing enormous damage to the community, not only due to the waste of public money but also because of the environmental harm caused.

Additionally, the existing land-based collector from Cisano to Peschiera has insufficient capacity to handle the combined flow coming from the upper lake and the Brescia side via the sublacual route.

Both branches are forced to operate at reduced capacities, especially during peak periods. Two additional treatment lines in the inter-consortium Peschiera wastewater treatment plant, beyond the existing three, have not yet been built, nor has the Limone treatment plant.

Finally, not all municipalities have completed or upgraded their internal sewer networks.