Irregular sewage discharges in Niscemi: trial for former and current executives of Ati, Caltaqua, and the Municipality

Sewage discharges from the urban center of Niscemi released into the environment without any treatment: this is the accusation at the center of the criminal proceedings that will go to trial in next July.

On trial are the former general director of the Territorial Water Assembly, as well as an official of the Municipality of Gela, Antonino Collura; the current administrator of Caltaqua, Andrea Gallè; the head of purification of the same company, Antonio Butera; and the Italian-Spanish company that manages the integrated water cycle in the province of Nissena.

The judge of the Court of Gela, Francesca Pulvirenti, in the pre-trial phase has ordered the continuation of the criminal action.

The investigation stems from checks carried out by the Arpa four years ago. In Niscemi, a treatment plant has been missing for decades and only last year, at the end of a particularly long process, the works were awarded for the construction of the new purifier in contrada Fontana del Conte.

According to the Gela Prosecutor's Office, there have been omissions that would have allowed the discharge of untreated wastewater from the city's sewer network.

The defenses reject the allegations, arguing that neither the Ati nor Caltaqua can be held responsible, as the procedure for the construction of the new plant had been assigned to the national structure of the commissioner for purification.

Following the landslide of recent weeks, the Prosecutor's Office of Gela has further intensified attention on interventions for the management of water and, more generally, on the water network and the wastewater treatment system of Niscemi.