Press Release

The model, developed by Acea Ato 2, will be adopted by the District Basin Authority of the Central Apennines (AUBAC), with the goal of drafting the first district hydrogeological balance to optimise the management of the water resources in central Italy.

Optimising the use of water resources means ensuring sustainable management and addressing the challenges of climate change in an increasingly efficient way. With these goals in mind, the Central Apennines District Basin Authority and Acea Ato 2 have signed a scientific collaboration agreement today to monitor in real-time the destination of meteoric inflows in the central Italy district. The collaboration aims to draft the first district hydrogeological balance, requested and promoted in accordance with European directives, the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security, and the Extraordinary Commissioner for water scarcity.

The project involves the use of the advanced AQUARUM model, developed by Acea Ato 2, to analyse the behavior of stormwater in the Authority's district, estimate the water that infiltrates the ground, and provide a comprehensive dataset necessary for calculating the water balance. The Basin Authority will supply Acea with daily climate data on precipitation and temperature, as well as territorial information essential for powering the model and conducting all analyses, including comparisons with historical time-series data. The AQUARUM model will enable AUBAC to integrate analysis results on the fate of meteoric inflows with data on the condition of aquifers, surface waterways, and reservoirs, significantly enhancing resource planning for various uses, such as civil, agricultural, and industrial purposes. The system will allow AUBAC to monitor ongoing phenomena, identify abnormal patterns, and simulate behaviours and future scenarios, thereby offering crucial decision-making tools for planning and programming activities.

"A correct management of water resources requires increasingly refined and sophisticated monitoring systems", stated Marco Casini, General Secretary of the Authority. "Thanks to the collaboration with Acea, we will be able to better quantify meteoric inflows, which are useful for aquifer recharge, and monitor the availability of water in our region. This will allow us to address water scarcity conditions and, where possible, anticipate them, particularly during dry periods, that are becoming more frequent, ensuring the satisfaction of all current and future needs." 

The President of Acea Ato 2, Claudio Cosentino, stated: "Starting from today, thanks to this agreement, the model AQUARUM, developed in-house through the expertise of Acea Ato 2 and used to monitor our sources, will be applied on a larger scale to oversee all reservoirs in central Italy.  I believe this represents significant recognition for the company and, in particular, for the professionalism of the Acea Ato 2 team who first developed and implemented it.