Sicily region. Resources of 340 million euros have been identified to be allocated to distribution networks and reservoirs.

The actions launched to ensure the full functionality of the Sicilian dams, to identify the manager of the single integrated service in some provinces, for the use of waste water and the salient points of the new regional waste plan. These i topics explored in depth during the Water and Waste Days, a double moment of discussion with experts and operators in the sector promoted by the Sicilian Region, through the Department of Energy and Public Utility Services within the Ecomed event which is held in the pavilions of FieraSicilia, in Misterbianco, in the Catania area.

Illustrating the Region's initiatives on both fronts wasregional councilor for Energy, who opened the proceedings of both days. Discussion events with experts from ministries, public and private bodies called to exhibit innovations and solutions in the industrial field, in the management of water resources and in the treatment of urban waste, also examining in depth the initiatives financed by the Pnrr and the opportunities offered by new technologies in the framework of national and community regulations.

On the subject of water, the councilor explained this morning, the department is involved in planning interventions to ensure the full functionality of the dams, taking advantage of community and Pnrr funds. Resources of 340 million euros have been identified to be allocated to both the distribution networks and reservoirs. Furthermore, thanks to specific projects, an additional 45 million cubic meters of water will be recovered from Sicilian dams every year, to be used for drinking and irrigation purposes, thanks to FSC funds.

Furthermore, the department is filling a years-long delay completing the awarding of the integrated water service in all the provinces of the island: the Syracuse area is being assigned, the tender is underway for the Messina area, while for Trapani the intervention of the national government has been requested. Furthermore, this year the implementing decree for the use of purified waste water was issued which allows the effective use of this resource for agricultural, industrial and construction site uses. Furthermore, on the water emergency front, the regional government is also working on the reactivation of the desalination plants in Gela, Porto Empedocle and Trapani.

On waste, the councilor added in the early afternoon during the opening talk, the government has defined the new regional plan, already appreciated by the council, the process of which will be completed within a few months, so as to have an updated and complete tool to give a new unitary physiognomy to the management of the sector and put an end to some major critical issues that still force us to incur high costs for disposal.

These are the objectives of the new regional plan: recovery of over 65% of urban waste; energy recovery of the residual fraction (up to 600 thousand tons) and sewage sludge; less than 10% sent to landfill; elimination of shipments outside the region; implementation of recovery platforms; reduction of at least 40% in treatment costs; production of biomethane (70 million cubic metres) and compost (10 thousand tonnes); valorisation of fuel derived from waste through the replacement of pet-coke with CSS-C in energy-intensive plants.

To achieve these results, the regional plan is based on increasing the rate of separate waste collection and the implementation of treatment plants.

In short (Italian only): transformation of existing public Tmbs (5 for a total of 720 thousand tonnes) into public selection/recovery/refining platforms; construction of new platforms of the same type (11 for 829 thousand tons in total); increase in organic waste valorisation plants (up to 54 for a total of 2 million 270 thousand tonnes); construction of two public waste-to-energy plants in the areas of Palermo and Catania (for a total of 600 thousand tonnes).