Switzerland gives Italy more water from lake Lugano

More water for Italy: discharge from Lake Lugano temporarily increased Keystone-SDA

The outflow of water from lake Lugano to Italy will be increased from the current three to eight cubic metres per second for a period of ten days.

This will allow more water to flow into lake Maggiore and into the Italian rice-growing areas near Novara, Lomellina and Milan.

The measure will result in a reduction in the water level of lake Lugano by a total of around ten centimetres, the Ticino Waterways Authority announced.

It will come into effect immediately for the next ten days and will be closely monitored, the press release added. Once this period has expired, the situation will be reassessed in light of further developments in water levels and taking regional needs into account.

The measure was taken by the Italian-Swiss consultative body responsible for regulating the water level of lake Maggiore and managing water resources in the catchment area. The body convened for an emergency meeting on Monday at the request of the Italian Ministry of the Environment. Lake Lugano and lake Maggiore are naturally connected via the River Tresa.

Critical situation on lake Maggiore

The meeting was called in response to the critical water situation in lake Maggiore and the downstream rice-growing areas in the regions of Novara, Lomellina and Milan, as well as Italy’s request to examine the possibility of additional water releases from the Ticino hydroelectric reservoirs.

The water level of lake Maggiore is currently extremely low and, according to the head of the Ticino Waterways Office, is just a few centimetres away from a new record low.

The report goes on to state that the Ticino cantonal government had already informed the Piedmont region on July 17 that the Swiss side was also affected by a drought warning due to a lack of rainfall.

Water reserves in Ticino’s hydroelectric reservoirs are currently at their lowest levels in the last ten years. The Piedmontese government in Italy had therefore asked neighbouring Ticino to increase the volume of water released into the region.

For this reason, and to ensure the security of the electricity supply, the conditions for additional water releases from the reservoirs do not exist. Furthermore, the Swiss canton’s scope for action is legally restricted, as a large proportion of the water is subject to concessions held by private operators, over which the canton has no direct control.

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Translated from German, reviewed by an English Department journalist.