the question should first be clarified in the light of the law governing the issue in Italy:
Art.1 Galli Law (n ° 36 \\ 94)
1. All surface water and groundwater, although they are not extracted from the ground, are public and are a resource that is safeguarded and used according to criteria of solidarity.
2. Any use of water is made to safeguard the expectations and rights of future generations to enjoy a healthy environmental heritage.
3. The uses of water are directed to saving and renewal of resources not to affect the water resources, the livability of the environment, agriculture, aquatic fauna and flora, geomorphological processes and water balance.
4. The thermal waters, mineral and geothermal use are governed by special laws.
These principles are widely shared, particularly in the first paragraph it states unequivocally that all waters are public.
The problem seems solved, this however, some features such as quality, quantity and ease of access, influence the way in which it is exercised his right to the use of this public good. If
is still widespread in rural self-consumption, through wells or fountains, set by the institution of direct grant to the user, in a "social context" as complex as the well water in urban areas is provided as a public service network, fee.
This solution moves the starting question: What is a public service? Who must deliver to citizens? By what rules? The TAR Lombardia
stated that "... for public service must understood as an economic activity undertaken to provide benefits designed to meet the collective needs are deemed necessary in a particular social context. "
the case of economic activity under the grant, it must meet criteria of efficiency and economy, within the limits of the contract service, which regulates relationships between citizens, represented by the public, and the dealer.
Other examples of public-service mobility, communication, energy and health; in many of these cases, the service has gone from direct state control in joint-stock companies. The results are the subject of great political and cultural debate.
One topic that distinguishes the water service from other public about the responsibility in protecting the resource, maintaining the expectations of future generations and the integrity of the environment.
This responsibility, in contrast to other areas, involves careful planning and investment in the medium and long term. This aspect has contributed to the emergence of large players, which exceed the scale municipal water service also is called "integrated" because it must consider the entire water cycle, placing on the waterworks, the sewer to the sewage and unloading.
In the past, a myriad of subjects, mostly public part, they handled separately the various aspects of the water cycle, without a real common strategy, sometimes in response to unique local concerns.
Today the need to combine and integrate the activities create real economic giants, on the one hand it is feared by local politicians, used to manage the assets directly in a patronage, on the other increases the appetite of multinational companies have developed this business for years in other countries, making considerable profits. This
to question deeply the role of public and political class that governs them, both as managers and providers of water service, both as in charge of the concession, which they must exercise control in favor of citizens \\ users through the application of a service contract serious and far-sighted.
In each case it is necessary to have adequate tools for knowledge to better plan activities and investments. In particular, in the case of water intended for human consumption, mainly extracted from the ground, you must take extra care in the regulation of many activities that have an impact on groundwater resources.
What is the situation of water resources
water bodies that characterize the subsurface of the Lombardy region guarantee high productivity, particularly in the upper layers of the subsoil. A wealth of natural, readily available, which has contributed to social and economic development of our region. In recent years, aquifers have become the subject of considerable interest for geothermal uses, especially in view of energy saving and efficiency.
Economic growth has, however, stressed that this resource is vulnerable, sensitive to urban development, industrial and agricultural land.
At present, the condition of groundwater quality is compromised in large parts of the plains due to:
- localized releases of industrial origin (chlorinated solvents, metals and other pollutants)
- diffuse pollution from agricultural sources (sewage spills nitrogen)
- Losses sanitation in most densely urbanized areas (within which lie most of the wells)
This situation affects the asset "raw" in the subsoil, which is controlled and treated before distribution network remains the objective to defend for future generations.
On the basis of what happened during the last decades, management activities have been geared towards a move away from shallow aquifers, now considered to compromise the public use and moving the draw in the deep aquifers, which should be the "strategic reserve". Tele
plan is based on assumptions partly overcome by the current hydrological knowledge. It follows then that the decision to attach great importance to the deep aquifers for water supply may prove inadequate in the coming years, both qualitatively and quantitatively, to ensure a quality and affordability of water service.
In particular it is essential to review the tools for planning and management of water resources, in order to:
prevent situations of water crisis, avoiding the increasingly widespread and expensive water treatment before distribution;
identify areas of "reserve for water supply", even in urban areas, identifying effective systems for safeguarding and protection;
define priorities for action with regard to the remediation of aquifers. These actions are to be considered, in addition to the remediation of industrial sources and regulation of agricultural spills, even on the recovery from sewage and purification systems.
improve water quality by increasing controls and information provided on it, reducing the consumption of bottled water, offsetting the higher costs necessary to implement policies to protect the resource.
Conclusions
Given this situation it is easy to foresee that in coming years, public or private water service will have to undergo significant changes, unfortunately accompanied by an increase in rates. It is hoped that these changes permit an improvement in the quality of service and protection of water resources, this will be possible through a better understanding of the phenomena and transparency in their decisions.
