Pesaro, August 17, 2026 – In full and peak tourist season, Pesaro is facing the most severe water crisis in recent years. Between Saturday and Sunday, three consecutive breaks at three different points of the main aqueduct (the first two on Saturday in Bellocchi, the third yesterday morning in Belgatto di Fano) left taps dry, paralyzing an entire province right on Ferragosto. The slow return of running water occurred this morning, August 17, as warned by Mayor Andrea Biancani in a post at 8:15: “I have just been informed that water is gradually returning to all homes. If anyone still does not have it, it is due to minor technical problems, particularly related to the presence of air in the pipes, which are gradually being resolved. The possible lack of water is not related to new breaks.”
A frantic rush to buy bottled water has erupted in supermarkets
The impact on daily life and the economy is devastating. A frantic rush to buy bottled water has erupted in supermarkets, entire pallets emptied in a very short time, while throughout Pesaro it has become impossible even to find an empty container to fill at one of the eleven water trucks, stationed around the city, after an urgent meeting convened by Mayor Andrea Biancani at the Prefecture.
Major inconveniences for residents and tourists: hotel cancellations are pouring in
Huge inconveniences for residents, but also for tourists. Those who can flee: hotel cancellations are pouring in, while restaurants and bars, unable to use dishwashers, serve in paper cups keeping bathrooms locked. Several establishments have even preferred to temporarily close.
A postcard of the city far from flattering, and right during the days of the Rossini Opera Festival. Those who could went to the beach to take a shower, as long as there was still water (the establishments use the reserves of the Roman aqueduct) which ran out around 1 p.m.
Business categories: “Uncalculable economic and image damages”
The water crisis of Ferragosto has exceeded every tolerance level, pushing the entire productive fabric to unite. All business categories (Confcommercio, Confesercenti, Confartigianato, Cna, Apa, Fipe, Federalberghi, and Baia Merchants Association) have joined in one voice to denounce “economic and image damages incalculable,” announcing a formal request for compensation for lost revenues and for the “serious image damage suffered by all Pesaro business categories – they explain in a joint statement -, betrayed by an essential service that proved inadequate.”
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“Many operators have been forced to close their shutters at the height of summer due to breakdowns that businesses no longer consider exceptional emergencies – they continue -, but the result of postponed political choices and a total lack of maintenance.” The associations also complain about the “uncertain communication that left businesses in the dark,” and now they are pounding the table: they demand that “every single available financial resource be allocated solely to the urgent and structural repair of the provincial water network”.
Mayor Andrea Biancani: “Enough now: Pesaro cannot afford to be without water for days”
Shared anger also by Mayor Andrea Biancani, who activated the Coc (which reprimands Marche Multiservizi: “Enough now, Pesaro cannot afford to be without water for days. It is a huge inconvenience for citizens and a very serious economic and image damage for the city and our hospitality facilities. At least another 30 million are needed for the main pipeline, in addition to the 22 already secured for the municipal network.”
Repair completed in the evening
The causes of the breaks in the aqueduct? The lethal mix of climate emergency and obsolete infrastructure: severe drought dries out clay soils causing contraction. This ground movement crushes the vibrocement pipes, now 50 years old, causing breaks. Repair was completed in the evening and technical maneuvers began to fill the tanks and restore supply.
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