Every year Abbanoa injects around 250 million cubic meters of water into the water network: “Of these, just 112 are delivered to end users, while losses amount to 138 million cubic metres”. Here are the losses from the pipelines of Sardinia, certified by a resolution of the regional council that has just been approved. Starting from the gigantic hole in the water, the provision gives the green light to a negotiation with the European Commission to arrive at an extension of the assignment of the management of the island's integrated water service: the publicly controlled Spa is the exclusive owner until 31 December 2025, then the concession should be entrusted with a public tender. The junta wants a postponement until the end of 2028.

The apparent paradox is explained in the five pages of the provision adopted by Villa Devoto, under the guidance of the vice president Giuseppe Fasolino.

70.94% of Abbanoa's capital, we read, “is currently held by the Region, the remainder by the Municipalities. The Spa manages the water service on the basis of an agreement "whose duration is established at 24 years starting from 31 December 2004". So the natural expiry was scheduled for 2028. But "during 2012, Abbanoa went through a financial crisis, which led to the granting of rescue and restructuring aid authorized by the European Commission" in 2013.

To give the green light to public aid which risked distorting the market, however, Europe had imposed conditions: among these,   concession expiring in 2025 and obligation of a public tender to find a water manager for the following period.

The dates are approaching. But in the meantime Abbanoa has become the recipient of a 59 million euro loan from the Pnrr: money to be used to plug the leaks in the pipes of 15 municipalities "characterized by a high rate of water dispersion, to be achieved through a series of maintenance interventions aimed at bringing a reduction of 5.7%”.

Works that must be completed by 31 March 2026 without fail. Therefore, writes the Region, "beyond the expiry date of the concession for the integrated water service agreed upon during the authorization of the aid and indicated in the decision of the European Commission". In short