Taps were set to run dry for 1.5 million Roman residents for up to eight hours a day from Monday, but the capital’s mayor Virginia Raggi urged the central government to intervene.
Authorities had banned ACEA from pumping water from nearby Lake Bracciano, which is at a significantly low level following weeks of drought and sweltering temperatures.
Located around 30 kilometres north of Rome, the lake has dropped by approximately one metre, revealing dry sandspits.
Though the lake only provides around 8 per cent of the city's water, Rome is becoming increasingly desperate for resources as the drought persists.
Much to Raggi’s relief, the recent deal allows the company to keep pumping water from the lake at gradually reduced quantities that must be completely phased out by September 1.
“We avoided 1.5 million people ending up without water. It is good news for everyone! But we will not let our guard down,” the mayor wrote on Twitter.
The Italian government has already declared a state of emergency this year due to the drought in the northern provinces of Parma and Piacenza, freeing up €8.65 million for drinking water tanks and infrastructure investments.
With ANSA/Reuters
