Disputed waters in the Aeolian Islands: appeals, bills, and the clash between the municipality of Lipari and the Ati Messina

On water, in the Eolian Islands, appeals and counter-appeals involving the majority,
minority and Ati Messina.

The dispute over water tariffs in the Municipality of Lipari does not stop.

The administration of the largest Eolian municipality, led by Mayor Riccardo Gullo, has entrusted lawyer Arturo Merlo with an additional assignment for the representation
and defense of the entity before the Regional Administrative Court (Tar) of Sicily, Catania section.

The new mandate concerns the appeal against the managerial determination of Ati Messina, dated February 23, which declared the increases in water tariffs decided by the Municipality of Lipari for the year 2024 (+5%) and for the year 2025 (+4.5%) as ineffective and not applicable.

According to Ati, such increases would lack legitimacy due to a substantial defect in the administrative process followed by the Eolian entity.

With the same provision, Ati also imposed on the Municipality of Lipari to proceed with the revision of the acts deemed non-compliant.

Meanwhile, the contested increases are already impacting the citizens' wallets. The municipal administration has, in fact, issued the bills and started the collection of sums.

The assignment, "for additional reasons", given to lawyer Merlo fits into an ongoing dispute. The lawyer has represented the Municipality since September 30, 2025 in another pending appeal before the same Tar, related to further acts of Ati regarding the management of the integrated water service.

The administration has emphasized the close connection between the new challenged determination and the one already subject to the previous appeal.

The diatribe, which then led to appeals and contested resolutions, was triggered last year by the President of the Municipal Council of Lipari, Antonino Russo.

Russo, in his capacity as a councilor of the Municipality of Lipari, had requested to view the documents preparatory to the approval of the municipal budget; documents that, according to his own statements, were never provided to him by the Lipari municipal administration.

From there, the appeal to various Authorities and the public complaints that have led to the current situation on which the Administrative Court will have the final word.