In the rest of Caltanissetta the authorities ensure regular water supplies for just a few hours per week or every two weeks, depending on the neighbourhood.
Chronic water shortages are nothing new to Sicilians, many of whom have storage tanks on their roofs or underground to face periods of scarcity, but these are proving insufficient as droughts become longer and more severe.
“LIKE BEING BLACKMAILED”
Businesses requiring a constant supply of drinking water, such as restaurants, are exasperated as demand outstrips supply and prices soar.
“Many tanker owners know we are in trouble and are taking advantage of the situation, it’s like being blackmailed,” said Michele Tornatore, who owns a restaurant called ‘Sale e Pepe’ (salt and pepper) in Caltanissetta.
“If the tankers can get water, then why is there no water?” he said.
Officially, water is considered a public good and cannot be sold by individuals, who can have private wells strictly for personal use.
Only authorised private tankers can distribute water they have drawn from public sources, charging a transportation fee. To do so, they must themselves pay a tariff to the local official water company.
