Defective line
No water on Capri – no more tourists allowed for the time being
Boats and houses on the coast of the Italian island of Capri
© Jan Wehnert / Imago Images
The water reserves on the Italian island are still sufficient. But if more tourists come to Capri, there could be a shortage for everyone.
Since Saturday morning, tourists have been banned from going ashore on the Italian Mediterranean island of Capri, which is popular with holidaymakers. The reason: After a defect in the water pipe that supplies Capri with water from the mainland, the island’s water supply has collapsed. Currently, only residents Capris are allowed to enter the island, according to a decree issued by the mayor. In this emergency, Capri has no water supplies that can meet the needs of residents and tourists.
At present, the water supply is still guaranteed in most parts of the island in the Gulf of Naples. However, this only comes from local water reservoirs, which are in danger of running out without supplies from the mainland. This emergency situation is being made worse by the daily influx of thousands of tourists, the ordinance continued. In isolated areas in the west of Capri, water is no longer reaching the island.
Ships on their way to Capri have to turn around
The halt in tourist arrivals had immediate consequences at the ports on the mainland. Following the mayor’s decree, ticket sales for the ferries were immediately stopped, as the news agency Ansa reported. Ships that had already set off for Capri were asked by the authorities to return. Long queues formed at the ticket counters in Naples and Sorrento.
On Thursday, there was a breakdown in the main water pipe in the municipality of Castellammare di Stabia in the southern Italian region of Campania. The pipe supplies Capri and the Sorrento peninsula. The repair work was completed on schedule, but technical problems had arisen again, the water company Gori said. As a result, the water supply is still interrupted. Work is continuing to resolve the problems and restore the supply.