ITALY - Region On the road to water reform

Italy's Abruzzo Region will take steps to reform its water management, announced councilmember Mimmo Srour and others at a meeting in Pescara, Pescara Province. The objective is to have a single agency control all water activities to avoid the present problems of duplication of staff, high water bills, and a scattergun approach to the maintenance of water networks that has led to a staggering loss rate - up to 60% -- of water through leaky pipelines. A committee formed by regional President Ottaviano Del Turco recommended that six administration areas be reduced to one in order to cut costs.