Water Shortages in Colà Amid Tourist Season and Rising Demand
The usual story. During the tourist season and with the intense heat, water supply problems increase for some families living in Colà. The area most affected is the upper part near the parish church.
Supply issues and residents’ protests
A cyclical problem caused by the increasing number of users connected to the water supply network. An issue that naturally prompts civil protests from residents. Particularly from Ilias Xoerahu, a 35-year-old Albanian residing at via Castello 14.
Tired of living with this situation of hardship, the young man from Durrës, a stone restorator by profession, picked up the phone to report the case to «L’Arena». «For five days now, no water has come out of our taps, and we have to manage with buckets and dishes filled at the fountain in front of the church.»
«It’s not a new problem», sighs a resident also on via Castello. «This issue has been ongoing for three years, with water coming sporadically. Protest? Dissatisfaction is widespread, but honestly, we are now resigned. The core issue is that the summer population in the area has increased enormously.»
«It’s true, recently we’ve had water supply issues, but for the past two days, everything seems to be resolved», explain residents from casa Fraccaroli at civic number 5, happily.
Government interventions and technical aspects
The mayor, Luca Sebastiano, does not hide the issue. «The municipal administration is certainly aware of the situation. However, we believe a definitive solution has been reached with the imminent activation of the new well at Madonna della Neve, near the Preoni locality depot.»
The well is expected to fully resolve the water shortage problem, which only becomes evident during the hot weather and increased usage, especially in an area that has seen a rise in the number of users in recent years.
«The core of the matter lies exactly there», states Giuseppe Zanini from the municipal technical office. «In the past, when various land divisions were decided, no adjustments were made to the water network. Currently, the flow from the wells is below demand; therefore, we have to implement several measures to minimize disruption.»
For example, we reduced water flow to Pacengo to divert it towards Colà. The capacity of the new well will allow us to extract 15 liters per second from the aquifer, less than initially estimated based on geological studies.
This is why we are already working on new solutions. Moreover, the fact that many irrigate gardens at night doesn’t help resolve the water scarcity issue.»