Press Release

Florence, September 24, 2024 – The Acea Group is taking part in the eighth edition of the Water Festival, organized and promoted by Utilitalia, the Federation of water, environment and energy companies.

As Italy's largest water provider, serving over ten million customers, and the second largest in Europe, Acea will have a stand at the exhibition area in Fortezza da Basso and will participate in several panels over the course of the three-day event. This will be an opportunity to highlight the importance of water for the country’s economic and social development, especially at a time when climate change and rising demand are impacting its availability.

Today’s opening session featured Acea’s Chairwoman, Barbara Marinali, in her role as Vice President of Utilitalia, and Francesco Buresti, Head of Acea's Water Business. Tomorrow at 10:15 a.m., Acea Group CEO Fabrizio Palermo will speak on "Innovation, Sustainability, and Major Infrastructure in Water Resource Management in the Context of Climate Change." On Thursday, the final day, various Acea representatives will participate in technical panels addressing different aspects of water service management.

The company has planned investments of €4.7 billion in the water sector by 2028 to develop high-quality infrastructure that will further improve operational efficiency in sustainable water management, returning purified water to the environment. Acea is also committed to promoting a new water culture that fosters greater awareness and responsibility in resource consumption. In this context, the company has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Education to develop educational programs on water conservation in Italian schools.

Acea has also signed an agreement with Italian banking group Intesa Sanpaolo to develop partnerships focused on water conservation and reuse, including in agricultural settings. This collaboration will involve investments in the reuse of treated water within so-called "water communities," benefiting the environment, local areas, and businesses by stabilizing their water supply. Intesa Sanpaolo will allocate up to €20 billion to support initiatives from companies and operators in the water sector, while ACEA will offer its expertise to identify new system-wide initiatives, providing innovative solutions to promote efficient water use, including through technological advisory services.