Press Release

The Minister of Education and Merit (MIM), Giuseppe Valditara, and Acea's CEO and General Manager, Fabrizio Palermo, signed today a three-year Memorandum of Understanding to promote educational activities in primary and secondary schools to encourage the responsible use of water resources.

The educational project aims to provide training and information on the principles of water protection and responsible use. Issues related to the water cycle, including collection, distribution and quality; uses in the industrial, agricultural and domestic contexts; supply and reuse; infrastructures such as aqueducts and dams; and the deployment of technological innovation and Artificial Intelligence to optimise the water system management, will be examined.

The Memorandum also includes interactive formats and quizzes, multimedia content for students to illustrate all the operational phases of the water cycle, as well as training sessions for teachers. A contest focusing on "water as a resource" will also be promoted. Acea will share at national level its know-how and skills developed in over twenty years of working with students and teachers in schools in Rome.

"Water is essential for food safety and the protection of the ecosystem," said Minister Valditara. "We want to start from schools to state the importance of this fundamental resource so that students get used to the conscious and wise use. Taking care of natural resources is a crucial aspect of civic education, and I am grateful to Acea for its contribution to this project."

"ACEA is committed to developing a project considered of great value, as it raises awareness in new generations about issues such as environmental sustainability, protection and responsible use of water resources," said Fabrizio Palermo, CEO and General Manager of Acea. "This agreement is a novelty in the European context, as Acea - leading national operator in the water sector - provides its expertise to the educational action promoted by the Ministry of Education and Merit. Today's initiative also affirms Acea's commitment to the introduction of the People Charter, which focuses on citizens as recipients of essential public services. Greater involvement of young people is necessary to spread the culture of sustainable water use. By educating the citizens of tomorrow to adopt respectful lifestyles, it is possible to affect climate change."