Ranking of the annual average water service fee in Italy H2 2021, by region

Tuscany’s water bills were the highest in Italy: in 2021, an average household spent almost 730 euros on water bills. Other two central regions ranked among the top three most expensive ones: Umbria and Marche. The highest companies’ investments for water management in Italy were registered in the macro-region of the Center for the period 2016 to 2019. In contrast, water bills were much cheaper in regions where private sector investments in water infrastructure were low, such as the Southern regions of Calabria and Molise.

Water in Italy is underpriced

In 2021, the annual average water bill for an Italian household with a consumption of 192 cubic meters of water was 460 euros, with an increase of almost 200 euros compared to 2007. Compared to other European countries, however, water was considerably underpriced. In fact, in the same year, Milan ranked among the cities with the lowest freshwater price in the world.

The water leakage problem

In 2018, only about 42 percent the volume entering the network reached households due to regional water leakage losses in the distribution system. In 2021, about 10 percent of the total Italian families complained about water supply disruptions . Southern regions, such as Calabria and Sicily, were the most affected by this problem.