In Italy, a very significant portion of the drinking water fed into the distribution networks does not reach end users. According to ISTAT, in 2022 total water losses reached 42.4% of the water fed into the network, equal to approximately 3.4 billion cubic meters. According to the Institute’s own estimates, this volume would be sufficient to meet the water needs of 43.4 million people for one year.
It is not, therefore, merely a matter of water seeping into the ground. Behind every cubic meter lost lies infrastructure to manage, energy used to collect, treat, and pump the water, operational costs, and an impact on the system’s ability to cope with periods of drought and growing pressure on the resource.
To reduce water loss, however, it is not enough to indiscriminately replace kilometers of pipes. First, we need to understand the network, monitor it, identify anomalies, and determine where to take action with the highest priority. IoT sensors, data analysis, artificial intelligence, predictive maintenance, and no-dig technologies are making this transition possible: from a predominantly reactive approach to a more measurable and preventive one.
The Problem of Water Loss in Italy: What the Numbers Say
The 42.4% figure highlights a structural problem. Even the most recent ARERA findings show that the problem remains significant: in the sample analyzed by the Authority based on the RQTI 2024 monitoring, the average percentage of water loss stands at 42%. The sample considered covers approximately 85.7% of the national population, although it is less representative in the South and on the islands.
A European comparison helps illustrate the scale of the phenomenon. The European Environment Agency estimates that nearly one-third of the water abstracted for public supply in the EU is lost before reaching consumers and identifies Italy, Bulgaria, and Croatia as countries where losses exceed 40%. In contrast, some European countries have managed to keep losses below 15%.
Before discussing solutions, however, it is important to clarify that not all losses are the same.
Actual losses are physical in nature: water that escapes from pipes, reservoirs, fittings, and connections due to breaks, cracks, or infrastructure deterioration.
Apparent losses, on the other hand, do not necessarily correspond to a physical loss of water. They may be related, for example, to meter measurement errors or unauthorized consumption. This distinction is important because it requires different strategies: repairing a pipe does not solve a measurement problem, and replacing a meter does not eliminate an underground leak.
Why We Talk About a “Leaky Network”: The Main Causes
The term “leaky water network,” often used in public debate, oversimplifies a phenomenon that actually has very diverse causes.
One of the main causes isthe aging of the infrastructure. The PNRR documentation highlights, for example, that a significant portion of Italy’s water mains are several decades old: approximately 35% are in the 31- to 50-year age range.
Added to this are materials and components subject to gradual deterioration, the geological characteristics of the territory, fluctuations in operating pressure, and a history of investments that have not always been sufficient to meet the need for network renewal.
Then there is a management issue. A network stretching hundreds or thousands of kilometers cannot be effectively monitored by relying solely on user reports or periodic inspections. In the absence of up-to-date asset mapping, widespread sensor networks, and systems capable of correlating data, a leak can continue for a long time before being located.
Management fragmentation has historically added to the complexity: ISTAT still recorded 2,391 water service providers in 2020, although it noted a gradual decline in the number of operators.
The consequences of water loss: more than just a waste of water
The most immediate effect is clear: a portion of the water collected and fed into the system does not reach its destination.
But the consequences of water losses in Italy go beyond the mere volume of water lost.
Collecting, treating, transporting, and maintaining water pressure requires energy. A leak therefore also means using a portion of that energy without providing an actual service to the end user. Reducing water loss can thus contribute to both the water and energy efficiency of the system.
For a water utility, leaks can also result in higher operating costs, the need to increase the volume of water supplied, and greater complexity in maintenance.
For local communities and residents, this issue becomes particularly relevant during periods of water scarcity. A more efficient network does not eliminate droughts or water stress, but it does allow for better use of the water already available and increases the overall resilience of the infrastructure.
How to Identify Leaks in a Water Network: From Manual Inspection to Digital Monitoring
Traditional leak detection continues to play an important role. Acoustic techniques, field checks, and inspections allow operators to locate a leak and take action on the pipeline.
The limitation arises when these activities are used primarily in a reactive manner: first, an obvious anomaly or a break occurs; then the problem area is identified; and finally, action is taken.
The digitization of water systems makes it possible to change this approach.
By dividing the network into districts, installing measurement systems, and correlating flow rates, pressures, consumption, and historical data, the operator can build a more continuous picture of the infrastructure’s behavior.
The goal is not to replace the technician with an algorithm, but to provide them with more precise information to understand where to look, which anomalies warrant attention, and which interventions have the highest priority.
Technologies to Reduce Water Losses in Water Networks
There is no single technology capable of solving the problem of water loss. The best results come from a combination of infrastructure knowledge, monitoring, data analysis, and the ability to perform physical interventions on the network.
IoT Sensors and Real-Time Monitoring
Flow and pressure sensors installed at strategic locations allow for monitoring the network’s behavior much more frequently than periodic inspections.
Abnormal fluctuations in flow rate, pressures outside expected ranges, or nighttime consumption patterns inconsistent with historical data may indicate issues that require further investigation.
The IoT also makes it possible to centralize data from numerous assets and make it available through monitoring platforms.
However, the value does not lie in the mere accumulation of information. A network with thousands of sensors but no analysis criteria risks producing nothing more than a large volume of data. To be truly useful, monitoring must be transformed into indicators, alerts, and operational priorities.
Artificial Intelligence and Predictive Models
This is where advanced analytics and predictive maintenance for water systemscome into play .
These models can compare current and historical data, identify anomalous patterns, and help pinpoint areas where the likelihood of a failure or a leak warrants closer attention.
This does not mean “predicting with certainty” where a pipe will break. The quality of the prediction always depends on the quantity and reliability of the available data, knowledge of the infrastructure, and the quality of the model used.
The benefit is primarily operational: narrowing the scope of the search and helping the operator focus personnel and investments on the most critical points.
en.vision, Cefla Engineering’s modular platform that integrates IoT architectures and artificial intelligence models,also fits into this framework . The suite includes H₂O, dedicated to the integrated water cycle, and was designed to connect monitoring, data analysis, and more efficient asset management.
No-dig technologies for less invasive interventions
Identifying a leak is only the first part of the problem: next, action must be taken on the network.
Under certain conditions,no-dig or trenchlesstechnologies allow for the installation, replacement, or rehabilitation of pipes while reducing the need for traditional open-cut excavation.
Techniques such as relining and trenchless replacement systems can minimize the extent of excavation, offering particular advantages in densely populated urban centers, high-traffic roads, or areas where traditional construction sites would have a significant impact.
The choice must, of course, depend on the condition of the pipeline, the materials, the diameter, the soil characteristics, and the type of work required: not all networks are compatible with the same solution.
Digitization of Management and Maintenance Processes
Digital transformation does not end with leak detection.
Advanced management links data from the network to the entire operational process: opening a ticket, locating the issue, assigning the repair, verifying the work performed, updating the asset’s status, and subsequent monitoring.
This makes it possible to build a historical record that can also be used to identify pipes prone to recurring failures, assess replacement priorities, and verify whether the repairs performed are actually improving performance.
Technology thus becomes a tool for managing the infrastructure, not merely a system for generating alarms.
The Role of Investments and the Regulatory Framework
Reducing water losses has also become an institutional objective.
ARERA’s regulation of the technical quality of the integrated water service includes macro-indicator M1—Water Losses—which is calculated by taking into account both linear and percentage losses. This system is linked to improvement targets and incentive mechanisms tied to operators’ performance.
The PNRR has also allocated a specific investment toward reducing losses in distribution networks, explicitly including digitization and monitoring among the necessary tools. The Plan’s documentation has allocated 900 million euros for Investment M2C4-4.2 and calls for work on thousands of kilometers of network.
The European framework is further strengthening the focus on this issue. EU Directive 2020/2184 requires Member States to assess leakage levels and the potential for improvement, using the Infrastructure Leakage Index or appropriate methodologies; it also stipulates that the Commission must establish a European threshold by January 2028, from which specific action plans can be derived.
For operators, therefore, monitoring and reducing leaks increasingly means integrating environmental, operational, and regulatory objectives.
Why You Need a Specialized Engineering Partner
The complexity of water networks explains why it is difficult to achieve results simply by purchasing new software or installing a few sensors.
Hydraulic expertise is needed to understand the network’s behavior, plant engineering and electrical expertise to install and integrate the sensors, digital capabilities to process the data, and operational organization to transform a system-level anomaly into a field intervention.
It is this integration that makes the data truly useful.
Cefla Engineering operates in the Networks and Utilitiessector as a system integrator, handling the design, construction, management, and maintenance of infrastructure, including water and sewer networks. Its stated approach integrates operational services, digital monitoring, and predictive techniques, with the goal of improving the efficiency and resilience of networks.
The point, therefore, is not to digitize “just for the sake of it,” but to start from the actual conditions of the infrastructure and build a framework in which sensors, platforms, engineering expertise, and on-site activities operate as parts of the same system.
Conclusions: Toward More Resilient and Efficient Water Networks
Water loss exceeding 40% demonstrates how the issue of network leaks continues to represent one of the main challenges facing the Italian water service.
The solution cannot rely on a single technology. Renovating infrastructure remains essential, but taking action without a precise understanding of the network’s condition risks reducing the effectiveness of investments.
IoT sensors, continuous monitoring, data analysis, and artificial intelligence, on the other hand, enable us to build a more detailed understanding of the infrastructure, identify anomalies more quickly, and better target maintenance and investments.
The evolution, therefore, shifts from a model based primarily on reacting to failures to a progressively predictive, measurable, and integratedmanagement approach .
For utilities and water cycle operators, the challenge is to transform data into decisions and decisions into concrete actions. It is through this integration of engineering, operations, and digital technologies that networks are built capable of reducing waste and becoming more efficient and resilient over time.
Published on September 29, 2026
