As climate risks grow, cities across Europe are under pressure to adapt. In Naples, the EU-funded SPRINGS project is working with ABC Napoli (https://www.abc.napoli.it) to strengthen the city’s ability to deliver safe drinking water under growing environmental and public health stress.
ABC Napoli, the public utility managing drinking water for the wider Naples area, is a key partner in the project’s Italian case study. With full oversight of the city’s water, from source to tap, and a strong track record in risk-based water safety management, ABC is well placed to test and apply the project’s tools on the ground.
Preparing water systems for a changing climate
Since 2019, ABC Napoli has been running a Water Safety Plan (WSP) based on WHO guidelines. This covers several areas of the city, including those near the two sentinel hospitals involved in SPRINGS’ disease surveillance. The WSP takes a preventive approach, aiming to manage risks along the entire water supply chain.
But traditional risk assessments are not built for the increasing risk of climate extremes. Heatwaves, flooding, and combined sewer overflow events are becoming more frequent, and they pose new threats to water safety. The SPRINGS project introduces advanced tools to help utilities like ABC better anticipate and manage these risks. These include climate-informed microbial risk assessments, epidemiological risk modelling, climate-resilient planning, and adaptive mitigation strategies.
By combining water safety data with disease modelling, the project aims to show where existing safeguards may fall short under climate stress and to offer practical, science-based solutions.
A two-way partnership
The ABC–SPRINGS collaboration is built on mutual exchange. ABC contributes hands-on experience with an active Water Safety Plan (WSP) and WHO-trained staff, ensuring the application of global best practices. SPRINGS, in turn, brings in research and methods to help adapt the system to a changing climate. The project also connects ABC with leading transdisciplinary expertise from institutions such as the University of Naples Federico II and the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM).
ABC Naples is honoured to share its 140 years of history, expertise, and passion with the University of Naples Federico II and the other prestigious partners of the SPRINGS project! Through constructive dialogue with international stakeholders, the Water Safety Plan—pioneered by ABC Naples since 2019—will become an even more effective tool for safeguarding the quality and quantity of water resources and protecting public health. This initiative also strengthens the trust of Naples residents in the safety and value of tap water.
Daniele Tortora, Biologist and WSP Team Leader at ABC Napoli
A recent site visit by SPRINGS researchers and ABC engineers, biologists, and other professionals marked the start of detailed technical work. The visit included key points across the water system, from catchment to distribution, and served several purposes:
This is not just a research effort. The partnership focuses on applied solutions, aiming to create lessons for other cities working to secure their water systems in the face of climate change.
The Naples case study will also inform SPRINGS’ broader policy and technical work, including recommendations for adapting Water Safety Plans across Europe. As cities face overlapping pressures on climate, health, and infrastructure, the collaboration between ABC and SPRINGS offers a model for turning scientific knowledge into practical action.