Persistent summer heat and scarce rainfall are intensifying water stress in northern Italy's Po River basin, where manufacturers are adopting recycling measures but face barriers to broader adoption across sectors.
By late July, drought had worsened across the basin, with river flows far below average, 50 Lombardy towns facing water shortages, and Lake Maggiore, a main water source of Po River, is nearing minimum operating levels.
The Po Plain, one of Europe's most concentrated manufacturing regions as well as Italy's key agricultural heartland, has been struggling to cope with water shortages.
Situated to the now drying up Secchia River, a main tributary of Po River, the city of Sassuolo anchors Italy's ceramics industry, which relies heavily on water for grinding raw materials and cleaning equipment.
Laminam, a local ceramic slab factory consumes roughly 100,000 cubic meters annually. It recycles most of the process water used and harvests rainwater to supplement production.
"In any case, water use must be optimized and used carefully. This is also in line with economic interests," said Alberto Selmi, CEO of the company.
Italian ceramic industry data shows process water recycling rates reach about 99 percent, yet recycled water covers only around half of total annual demand, with the rest drawn from groundwater and public supply. The sector's recycling efforts began in the 1970s, with geographic concentration enabling shared treatment infrastructure.
"Geographic concentration, that is, the industrial cluster effect, is the most important characteristic of ceramic manufacturing. Over 90 percent of tile production is concentrated within 20 square kilometers, enabling companies to form synergies in water recylcing, waste recylcing, and technology research and development," said Mauro Rullo, sustainability manager of the Italian Association of Ceramics (Confindustria Ceramica).
Analysts say most industries could technically recycle more water, but ceramics' success cannot be directly copied -- machinery, textiles and pharmaceuticals have different water uses and quality standards. Retrofitting also faces constraints from equipment costs, plant conditions and regulatory approvals, with small and medium enterprises facing greater hurdles.
"Water recycling systems and wastewater treatment equipment are not widely adopted among small and medium enterprises because they require significant capital investment, infrastructure investment and sufficient construction space," said Riccardo Monti, head of the territory, environment and safety area, at the General Confederation of Italian Industry for the central Emilia area (Confindustria Emilia Area Centro).
Italian manufacturing seeks water solutions as drought deepens
