What we found out

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The monitored project concerns the “Works for the replacement of the water supply network in the historic center and residential areas of Marsala,” funded within the framework of the Service Objectives established by CIPE Resolution 79/2012. The intervention affects the territory of the Municipality of Marsala and involves the replacement of obsolete sections of the drinking water distribution network, currently characterized by leaks, water losses, and frequent service disruptions.
The project stems from the need to modernize an essential infrastructure, often dating back many decades, which no longer guarantees adequate standards of efficiency and service continuity. Water losses represent not only an economic damage for the managing authority but also a waste of a precious resource, especially in a territory such as Sicily, where water availability is particularly vulnerable to climate change.
The intervention goes beyond a purely infrastructural dimension, as it concerns the most original and universal of goods: water, the archetype of life, a generative principle, a symbol of rebirth and continuity. Every civilization has arisen around water; every community prospers where it flows clear and accessible. Ensuring access to safe, continuous, and high-quality drinking water is not merely a technical or administrative issue: it is the concrete affirmation of a fundamental right, an essential condition for public health, human dignity, quality of life, and for sustainable and long-lasting economic and tourism development of the territory.
This project fully aligns with Goal 6 of the 2030 Agenda, promoted by the United Nations, which calls on the global community to “ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.” Reducing water losses and improving network efficiency does not simply mean working on pipes and pipelines: it means safeguarding a precious resource, combating waste, promoting equity in access, and assuming responsibility toward future generations.
In this sense, every meter of renewed network represents not only technical progress, but also a step forward toward a fairer and more aware society, capable of recognizing water not as a mere service, but as a common good to be protected, preserved, and passed on.
The fundamental objectives of the project are:
• Reduction of water losses through the replacement of deteriorated pipelines;
• Improvement of service continuity, avoiding frequent interruptions and pressure drops;
• Increased efficiency and sustainability of the urban water system;
• Protection of public health by ensuring safer drinking water distribution;
• Alignment with the standards set by the Service Objectives promoted by the Interministerial Committee for Economic Planning to improve the quality of essential services in Southern Italy.
Within this framework, civic monitoring takes on a fundamental value: it does not merely observe the progress of the works but represents an exercise in active citizenship. The young people following the project become protagonists of administrative transparency and guardians of a common good, demonstrating that caring for water is not only a technical matter but a collective commitment toward the future of the community.

Foreseen activities

The project “Marsala – Works for the replacement of the water supply network in the historic center and residential areas” (CUP: B81E15000090006), implemented in the Municipality of Marsala within the framework of the Service Objectives under CIPE Resolution 79/2012, represented a structural intervention aimed at modernizing and upgrading the urban water system. The total investment, amounting to approximately €5 million, was divided into three functional lots distributed across strategic areas of the territory, with the goal of broadly improving network efficiency.
Breakdown of works into lots
Lot 1 – Historic Center
The intervention in the historic urban core presented the greatest operational complexity. Activities took place on frequently trafficked public roads, requiring organizational solutions for traffic management and the minimization of inconvenience to citizens. Excavation works, necessary for pipeline replacement, led to prolonged road closures, causing inevitable difficulties for residents, businesses, and urban mobility.
Lot 2 – Northern Area (provincial road SP21 towards Trapani)
Rehabilitation works along the northern axis aimed at ensuring more stable distribution and improving water pressure management in a strategic area for road connections and residential settlements.
Lot 3 – Southern Area (towards Mazara del Vallo)
Replacement and upgrading works in the southern portion of the territory, characterized by critical issues related to pipeline obsolescence and the need to reduce water losses.
An additional complexity stemmed from the technical decision to proceed with final road resurfacing only after completion and testing of the water network. This choice was motivated by efficiency and safety considerations: applying the final road surface before testing could have required further excavation in case of critical issues or leaks, nullifying restoration efforts and causing further inconvenience. The operational sequence—network testing followed by resurfacing—thus ensured a stable and definitive solution, albeit requiring longer closure times for the affected areas.
Further challenges arose from the geological characteristics of Marsala’s subsoil, marked by significant porosity and cavities. This condition required preliminary investigations using radar and subsoil scanning technologies to accurately map geotechnical conditions and identify possible voids or pre-existing underground utilities. Operating in a historically layered urban context also required particular attention to the protection of potential archaeological remains present underground.
Among the most relevant actions was the cartographic mapping of the developed pipeline network, which provided updated and georeferenced documentation of the routes of underground pipelines.
Through the use of a ground-penetrating radar system for mapping underground utilities, the exact layout of the water network was detected. The collected data were processed with dedicated software, enabling detailed cartographic representation on territorial maps.
This activity produced:
• Updated technical documentation of the underground infrastructure system;
• Specific reports on the routes of water and sewer networks;
• A digital information base useful for future maintenance and interventions;
• Greater planning and management capacity of the water service.
In addition to mapping, the project included:
• Replacement of old pipelines with new polyethylene pipes, more resistant and durable, suitable for reducing the risk of breakage and leakage;
• Installation of regulation and control devices;
• Adaptation of user connections;
• Restoration of urban surfaces affected by the works;
• Final technical-administrative testing.
The project was originally scheduled to begin on 13/07/2017 and conclude on 11/04/2019, with an expected duration of 21 months. However, the start-up phase experienced a significant slowdown: the actual opening of the construction site took place on 05/02/2018, resulting in an initial delay of approximately seven months compared to the original schedule.
The overall duration of the works also exceeded expectations: the intervention lasted about 20 months, with official completion on 25/02/2020.
Perhaps due to this time shift, the project still appears as ongoing on the Open Coesione website. However, the work is now fully completed, with an operational infrastructure that is providing the city with a more modern, more efficient, and more sustainable system.
The project, with a total amount of €5,000,000.00, was approved by the Regional Executive through Resolution No. 89 of 24/04/2014 and financed by CIPE Resolution No. 79/12 of 11/07/2012; the funding was formally allocated by D.D.G. No. 2347 of 14/12/2015. Payments were carried out in accordance with Articles 44 and 45 of the Special Tender Specifications. The contract was stipulated on a unit-price basis, pursuant to Article 53, paragraph 4, of the Code and Article 43, paragraphs 7 and 9, of Presidential Decree 207/10.
The project shows monitored payments totaling €4,020,202.82, of which €3,875,614.52 came from Cohesion funds. These data, available on the OpenCoesione transparency platform, indicate a significant level of actual expenditure and therefore tangible progress of the intervention. The difference between the planned cost and the recorded payments represents the amount still to be disbursed or linked to final completion and testing phases, confirming that most of the resources have already been transformed into works and services within the local area. This evidence reinforces the importance of civic monitoring, which makes it possible to verify the correspondence between allocated public resources and achieved results, ensuring transparency and accountability in the management of funds intended for the community.

Project origin

The project for the replacement of the water supply network in the Municipality of Marsala originated from public decisions taken within the framework of the Service Objectives set out in CIPE Resolution No. 79/2012, an administrative act through which the Interministerial Committee for Economic Planning allocated resources to improve essential services in areas with greater infrastructural deficiencies. On this regulatory and planning basis, the municipal executive project was subsequently developed, financed with cohesion funds and included in intervention programs aimed at reducing water losses and modernizing infrastructure.
The definition of the project primarily involved institutional and technical stakeholders: the Municipality as the contracting authority, the designers responsible for preparing the technical documentation, the executing companies selected through public procurement procedures, and the supervisory bodies responsible for verifying regulatory compliance.
Specifically, the programs that finance the project are:
1. POR FESR Sicily – European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), Structural Funds related to the 2014–2020 programming period (Priority Axis “Protect the Environment and Promote the Efficient Use of Resources”);
2. PSC Sicilian Region – Fund for Development and Cohesion 2007–2013, Fund for Development and Cohesion related to the 2007–2013 programming period.
On the basis of this regulatory and programmatic framework, the municipal executive project was subsequently developed. It is financed with cohesion funds and included in intervention programs aimed at reducing water losses and modernizing infrastructure.
The definition of the project mainly involved institutional and technical stakeholders: the Municipality as the contracting authority, the designers responsible for preparing the technical documents, the contractors selected through public procurement procedures, and the oversight bodies responsible for verifying compliance with regulations.
No co-design activities with citizens were recorded during the original planning phase of the project. However, the initiative arose from numerous reports from residents who complained about problems related to the water service.
Regarding the categories of people potentially affected, the intervention had direct effects on residents, commercial activities, and users of the urban road network, particularly during the excavation phases and the temporary closure of streets. These inconveniences, although temporary, were a necessary consequence of the technical operations.

Beneficiaries

The final beneficiaries of the project are primarily the community as a whole, particularly the users of the water service in the Municipality of Marsala. The replacement of pipelines with more efficient and durable pipes aims to ensure a more stable distribution of drinking water, reduce network losses, and improve the overall quality of the service. Residents, commercial activities, and local businesses benefit from this intervention, as a more reliable water system contributes to the continuity of economic activities and to the quality of urban life.
More broadly, the project also provides collective benefits from an environmental and sustainability perspective: reducing water waste enables a more responsible management of a precious resource, consistent with the objectives of Goal 6 of the 2030 Agenda, promoted by the United Nations. An efficient water system means lower resource consumption, reduced environmental impact, and greater territorial resilience in the face of climate challenges.
However, during the implementation phase, some categories of people experienced temporary negative effects, mainly related to inconvenience caused by road closures and excavation works. Residents and business owners faced difficulties in mobility and in the use of urban spaces. These consequences were considered unavoidable in order to complete the works and achieve a lasting result.
Regarding access to benefits, the project is designed to be inclusive: all users of the water service can benefit from the improvements made. No specific categories of people appear to be formally excluded from the advantages of the intervention. However, full access to the benefits also depends on factors such as the territorial distribution of the works and the network’s capacity to cover the different areas of the urban center uniformly. This makes continuous monitoring of the project’s effects important, to ensure that improvements reach the entire community and not only limited portions of the territory.

Context

The project for the replacement of the water supply network in the territory of Marsala originates from the need to intervene on infrastructures that are now obsolete and responsible for high water losses and an inefficient water service. This issue is particularly significant in the Sicilian context, where the vulnerability of water resources has increased in recent years due both to climate change, with increasingly frequent periods of drought, and to the aging of infrastructure. Reducing losses and improving water distribution is therefore essential to ensure a reliable service and to protect a resource that is becoming increasingly scarce.
The funding of the intervention is justified precisely by these critical issues: an inefficient network leads to significant waste of drinking water, higher management costs, and service disruptions for citizens and economic activities. Modernizing the water network makes it possible to increase the efficiency of the system, improve the resilience of the territory and the quality of the service, and contribute to local development and environmental sustainability. The intervention also falls within the public policies promoted by the Interministerial Committee for Economic Planning within the framework of the Service Objectives, aimed at reducing territorial disparities and strengthening essential infrastructure.
The project is also connected to other possible initiatives for urban regeneration and sustainable resource management, such as programs for monitoring water infrastructures or improving energy efficiency. From a strategic perspective, it is aligned with the sustainability policies promoted by the United Nations 2030 Agenda, particularly Goal 6, which aims to ensure access to water and sustainable management of water resources.
Despite the lack of updated data provided by the Municipality of Marsala or other territorial bodies, according to ISTAT estimates, in 2024 water losses in Sicily’s distribution network reach approximately 51%, with an efficiency level of 49%.

Progress

According to what was reported to us by the Head of PNRR Projects of the Municipality of Marsala, Dr. Alessandro Putaggio, the works related to the monitored project were completed in 2020. The discussions with the engineer made it possible to further examine the timeline of the works, the technical sequence (mapping, replacement of polyethylene pipelines, testing, and final asphalt paving), and the operational reasons that guided the design choices.
From the OpenCoesione platform, it emerges that the monitored payments amount to around 4 million euros out of a total project cost of 5 million euros. We do not have data from the Single Project Manager (RUP) of the project, who was unable to make himself available, despite our numerous attempts to arrange a meeting.

Results

The water network replacement project in the Municipality of Marsala has produced concrete results in terms of infrastructural modernization and improved service efficiency. The information derives from online research on official sources and from interviews with the Head of PNRR Projects of the Municipality, which indicate that the intervention achieved the planned objectives of replacing obsolete pipelines and digitally mapping the network.
From the perspective of the results achieved, replacing the pipes with polyethylene pipelines has improved the resistance and durability of the water system, reducing the risk of breakages and leakages. This aspect is particularly relevant in a context such as Sicily, which is characterized by structural vulnerability of water resources and often significant network losses. From the perspective of civic monitoring, this outcome increases transparency in infrastructure management and provides informational tools that can improve the planning of further works. According to Dr. Putaggio, data related to water resource management show that the volume of water introduced into the network amounts to over 200 liters per second, corresponding to more than 6,000,000 cubic meters per year. This value remains essentially unchanged between the period before and after the implementation of the project, since in both phases the total volume of water entering the network is approximately 6,000,000 cubic meters per year. The situation appears different, however, with regard to the volume of water actually delivered to citizens. Before the implementation of the project, the amount of water distributed to users was 3,900,000 cubic meters per year. After the intervention, this value shows a significant increase, reaching 4,475,318.77 cubic meters per year.
These data therefore indicate that, although the overall quantity of water introduced into the network has remained substantially stable, the efficiency of the distribution system has improved, with an increase in the amount of water that actually reaches citizens.

Risks

Future risks that could affect the project’s effectiveness mainly concern the management and maintenance of the water network in the Municipality of Marsala. A first point of attention is the long-term sustainability of the new infrastructure: although polyethylene pipes are more resistant, the water network requires periodic maintenance and monitoring to prevent new leaks or failures. Without an adequate maintenance program, part of the benefits achieved could diminish in the medium term.
Another risk is linked to the climatic context and the increasing vulnerability of water resources in Sicily. Prolonged drought periods and suboptimal distribution management could continue to put pressure on the system, requiring an integrated approach that goes beyond infrastructure alone and includes sustainable water-use policies.
From an administrative perspective, a potential risk concerns the availability of resources for future maintenance and network upgrades. Without adequate funding allocation or continuous technical planning, the network could deteriorate over time, reducing the effectiveness of the initial investment. Transparency and monitoring remain useful tools to verify resource use and prevent critical issues.
Finally, a general risk concerns public perception. If the benefits of the project are not fully perceived, or if new inconveniences related to service management emerge, trust in institutions and in the usefulness of public interventions could decline. For this reason, it is important to accompany infrastructure works with transparent communication and community engagement strategies so that users understand the project’s long-term value.

Investigation method

How was the information collected?

• Web research
• Visit to the project's location, documented by pictures or videos
• Interview with the Managing Authority of the Programme which financed the project
• Interview with other types of people

The information collected derives from an interview with Dr. Alessandro Putaggio, manager responsible for PNRR projects within the Municipality. His role in the project was to provide technical and administrative clarifications regarding the status of works, testing procedures, and design choices adopted for the water network replacement. He operates within the Municipality of Marsala, which acted as contracting authority and implementing body of the cohesion-funded intervention.
The interview was successful and allowed deeper understanding of elements not always evident from documentary sources alone, such as the operational sequence of works (mapping, polyethylene pipe replacement, testing, and final resurfacing) and the technical motivations behind design decisions.
We also participated in a webinar with representatives from Europe Direct Trapani and the National Institute of Statistics, during which data available on the OpenCoesione platform were illustrated and guidance was provided on how to interpret project indicators and develop civic monitoring skills.
At the same time, attempts were made to contact the project manager via institutional email and phone calls, but no response was obtained. As a result, we relied primarily on official sources and on the interview with the PNRR manager.

Main questions

1. Is the municipal water system currently equipped with real-time monitoring tools (e.g., remote control systems, smart sensors), or is the network condition still monitored through periodic inspections and manual reports? (Addressed to Engineer Alessandro Putaggio, Municipality of Marsala).
2. Once the extraordinary funding phase (European or national) has ended, what strategies does the Municipality intend to adopt to ensure routine and extraordinary maintenance of the network, preventing the interventions from losing effectiveness in the medium to long term? Mention any similar or complementary projects, citing local public plans or strategies where applicable. (Addressed to Engineer Alessandro Putaggio, Municipality of Marsala).

Main answers

With regard to the first question, the engineer highlighted that the municipal water system does not yet have an extensive remote-control system or smart sensors capable of providing real-time data on pressure and leaks. Network monitoring likely takes place through periodic checks, technical inspections, and reports from users or service operators, including through the Municipality of Marsala’s Facebook page. The adoption of advanced monitoring systems may be considered a future objective, to be implemented progressively depending on financial availability and public service digitalization strategies. This approach would be consistent with the modernization phase already initiated through the replacement of pipelines and with the need to strengthen network management tools.
Regarding the second question, the manager emphasized the Municipality’s intention to plan periodic interventions financed through ordinary resources and potential new national or European funding calls. The strategy may include the development of multi-year maintenance plans and integration with other service efficiency projects, in line with cohesion and sustainability policies. Possible complementary initiatives could involve the digitalization of water management, improved mapping of underground utilities, and collaboration with supra-municipal bodies to access additional funding. These actions would help ensure that the investments made do not lose effectiveness in the medium to long term and continue to generate benefits for the community. You can find the transcript file of the entire interview attached.