Acoset, revolution on Etna to stop water leaks

How much water is lost every day in the pipes before it reaches the taps? The answer is uncomfortable, as in much of Italy. But in the Etna area, something is changing. Acoset S.p.A. — an integrated water management company that has been serving over 300,000 citizens in 21 municipalities in the foothills and Ionian area of Etna since 1911 — has launched a project funded by the PNRR (mission M2C4, investment I4.2) to transform a century-old network into a digital organism capable of monitoring every drop in real time.

There is a misconception to dispel: water losses are not those spectacular breaks that burst through the asphalt. The majority occurs in the capillary networks, in the user branches, in the final connections — small-diameter pipes laid decades ago, where water seeps away day after day without anyone noticing. It is there that the project focuses its objective. The project, developed directly by the company's technical office, is divided into three lots.

The first — "Services" — lays the scientific foundations: capillary plano-altimetric surveys, an updated Geographic Information System, a hydraulic simulation model, and the definition of DMA (District Metered Areas), micro-districts that can be monitored independently, allowing for precise isolation of leaks. Everything converges into a single integrated Asset Management platform connected to the company's SCADA.

The second lot installs 18,100 NB-IoT smart meters: smart meters that transmit hourly consumption in real time, transforming the user from a passive subject into an aware actor. If consumption appears abnormal — a hidden leak in the household system — an SMS or alert email is sent immediately.

The third lot translates everything into physical interventions: not the generalized replacement of pipelines, but the selective rehabilitation of critical sections identified by data, using trenchless technology where possible — without opening the road surface — and the installation of valves and pressure regulators. The expected numbers: 36% energy savings, over 6,500 tons of CO₂ less. All this will provide a concrete response: a more resilient network in a land where water — a scarce resource, historically poorly managed — has always been history, identity, survival. Treating it with the care it deserves is, finally, a priority. Now the game is played on the field: in the construction sites already opened along the slopes of Etna.

BILLS ARRIVE BY EMAIL: LESS PAPER, MORE SAVINGS, MORE ENVIRONMENT. ACOSET LAUNCHES DIGITAL BILLING SERVICE: REQUESTING IT IS VERY SIMPLE.

Every year, thousands of bills are printed, mailed, delivered, and — often — thrown away. A ritual with a cost: for the companies that produce them, for the environment that bears them.

Acoset S.p.A. has decided to change course by sending the bill directly via email, for those who request it. This is not a future hypothesis: the service is already active and, in the testing phase, has recorded user participation exceeding all expectations. Today, Acoset's management invites all its users to activate it: not only for convenience but to contribute concretely to a more sustainable management model, in line with the goals of the 2030 Agenda. From printing to shipping, every traditional invoice consumes paper, ink, energy, and economic resources. Multiplied by thousands of users, the environmental cost is far from negligible. Less paper means fewer trees cut down, less CO₂, less waste — and for the company, resources to reinvest in services for citizens.

Requesting the bill via email is within everyone's reach: just access www.acoset.com, Services section, click on "Send invoice by email", enter your details, and confirm with an identity document. The digital bill is just one of the services accessible online, developed by the CED offices. Through the website, it is possible to book appointments, consult your contractual position, download duplicates of invoices, and send reports. The Online Counter even allows the signing of new contracts with digital signatures, assisted step by step by an operator. All services are also available through the Multimedia Totems located in the served municipalities.

“Digital is not an end, but a tool to be more efficient and more respectful of the environment”, emphasizes the Acoset governance. A click, after all, can really change things.