The reclamation consortium aims to save water: work begins on wells in the Parma region

An annual water saving of 10% of the total consumption, equivalent to a water volume of approximately 35,870 cubic meters: this is the additional amount of water resources that will be available in the Parma region with the efficiency improvement works related to the management of the various wells for irrigation uses located on the plains and under the responsibility of the Reclamation Consortium, Groundwater pumping stations – located in the municipalities of Parma, Sisa Tricasalle, Fontevivo and Fontanellato – for which a total value of 544 thousand euros (500 thousand euros thanks) to the state financing of the Fund for Development and Cohesion 2014-2020 and another 44,000 from the Reclamation of Parma) will make it possible to intervene in more flexible ways in Facing the effects of climate change, which is the reason for the increase in summer heat and drought.

Parmensi reclamation leaders, from left: General Manager Fabrizio Usri with President Francesca Mantelli.

“In the category of sustainable actions linked to the strategy of mitigation and adaptation to climate change and on the basis of ANBI indicators – stressed the President of Parmense Reclamation, Francesca Mantelli and General Director of the consortium, Fabrizio Useri – necessary, in order to conserve water resources, to make decisions based on precise and accurate data. It will allow a solution The design proposed by our technical office by conducting continuous checks on our wells, maximizing the management performance of pumping systems while minimizing energy consumption and evaluating real consumption, in order to improve the correct management of water, and thus, reduce waste while achieving economic savings.

The interventions, which therefore fall under Sub-Plan 2 of the Agricultural Operational Plan of the Development and Cohesion Fund 2014-2020 – “Interventions in the field of irrigation infrastructures, water reclamation, flood prevention, accumulation basins and related technical assistance and advisory programs” – aim to achieve effective savings in Water in terms of shrinkage of pumped volumes, and follow-up through the implementation of remote measurement and control systems (data acquisition systems, electromagnetic flow meters and pumping volume, water level meters through the water vessel for pumping water, groundwater level meters). The automatic monitoring network will have the task of detecting data related to the flow rate and volume of water withdrawn from the wells in the pipe, groundwater levels and hydrometric levels of water collection channels for use in irrigation in various locations of interest, through 6 new automatic stations and updating of 3 pre-existing stations, which will be Equipped with innovative integrated data loggers, WLR radar hydrometers, pressure gauges and flowmeters.

Moment of efficiency in the irrigation well of the Casalbarbato Consortium, in the territory of the Municipality of Fontanellato (PR).

Finally, by defining thresholds linked to the water level in the canals receiving the extracted water, it will be possible to determine the timing and quantity of water to be withdrawn: this will allow to avoid possible periods of inactivity of the resource in the canals, avoiding risks of stagnation and, therefore, the occurrence of critical phenomena such as evaporation and infiltration (dangerous in terms of resource loss) and thus also contributes to maintaining the health of ecosystems.