Hopes for a rapid resolution to the problems of the wastewater treatment plant of the Lake Bolsena basin were disappointed. These hopes were fueled by the clear and sure declarations made by Wanda D’Ercole (Regional Director of Public Works) and Massimiliano Proietti (sole manager of the renovation project) during the hearing at the VIII Regional Commission, July 9: “It takes a couple of months to resolve the problems of the ring channel. Within 90 days management will pass to Talete who will immediately, gradually, start operation. By 2019, the wastewater treatment plant will function adequately and be fully completed by early 2020”.

None of this has come true, not even remotely.

• the problems of the ring channel, instead of being resolved, have become worse, with continuous spills from the SS9 (Grancaro) and, occasionally, from the pumping stations of San Lorenzo, Capodimonte and Marta;
• work on the sewage treatment plant has begun, but is proceeding at a snail’s pace (note the painting of some pipes and gates);
• Talete has no intention of taking on the management of COBALB, which is bankrupt and foreclosed, with structures that are not functioning properly, and wants to clarify its reasons before the courts.

Among many scandalous events, the saddest one concerns the workers of COBALB, which despite many promises, have been without salaries for three months. This is how the consortium thanks these men, who have been committed to protecting the citizens and the lake for 20 years. The workers also turned to the courts. Without them the sewage system is without management and monitoring. We informed the President of the VIII Council of this distressing situation on the occasion of the hearing on the geothermal plant at Castel Giorgio, 22 October.

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Although the works are NOT continuing and the issue of disposal of the lake’s wastewater does not even seem close to being addressed, we prefer to keep the title “work in progress” unaltered. We are committed to giving news of the work until they it is completed, until a real solution to the problem has been reached.