Aeolian Islands debate desalination as water supplies strain under tourism

Residents of Italy’s Aeolian Islands are debating whether to build more desalination plants or continue bringing drinking water by ship, as the islands face limited natural water resources and large numbers of tourists.

Vulcano, one of the archipelago’s eight islands, already has a desalination plant with large white silos and is autonomous for drinking water. Stromboli still relies on ships carrying water cisterns. Restaurant owner Angelo Mirabito told AFP that when ships cannot dock in bad weather, residents are left without water.

The Aeolian Islands, north of Sicily, have about 15,000 year-round residents. In 2024, the latest year with official data cited in the source, the islands recorded 146,000 tourist arrivals.

Fabio Pupillo, an engineer for Sopes, the company that manages the Vulcano desalination plant, said the plant has produced a steady 300,000 cubic metres of drinking water per year for 10 years.

The cost of drinking water produced by desalination plants on the Aeolian Islands is around two euros per cubic metre. Water brought by ship costs around 14 euros per cubic metre. The source says that cost is covered by the defence ministry, which organises the supply route.

Italy is second to Spain in the European Union for desalination capacity, according to data from the think tank The European House — Ambrosetti. Italy accounts for around 7.6 percent of daily EU production and produces a little more than 657,000 cubic metres per day of desalinated water from 341 plants.

A local municipal plan to build four new desalination plants on Alicudi, Filicudi, Panarea and Stromboli has divided residents and associations. Some say there is not enough data on the environmental impact in an area with fragile ecosystems.

Giuseppe Amato, a water campaigner in Sicily for the environmental group Legambiente, said desalination plants on small islands are an appropriate response, especially given hydrological crises linked to the global climate crisis. But he said such plants need to be well planned and used wisely. He questioned whether the proposed plant for Filicudi should be built for the island’s 250 permanent residents or for the maximum number of tourists during the peak season.

In a letter last month to the municipality of Lipari and the Sicily region, the environmental foundation Marevivo called for the authorisation procedure for the desalination plants to be suspended. It said alternative and complementary measures should be considered, including water recycling, rainwater collection and better management of tourist demand.

Eugenio Vodini, who organises boat trips for holidaymakers, said local residents know how to manage drinking water, unlike tourists. He described water as extremely precious and almost like gold.