Visit to the AMAP CENTRE and the “ Gabriele” Source. Multilateral Comenius Project -Water in our life- The Italian team

Report Visit to the AMAP CENTRE and the “ Gabriele” Source. On the 6th of June2015 the Italian Team of the multilateral Comenius project, visited the AMAP center located to the ”Real Reserve” in Avenue Calatafimi area. The visit included a tour of the plant with the access to the most striking natural source , the “ Gabriele fount”. This one along with three other wellheads of water, make up the natural springs of the area that mixed with purified water coming from the basin of Albanians Plain, supply potable water to the city of Palermo. These four sources are very close to each other, located in a fenced area on the slopes of Mount Caputo. The maximum yield of the source Gabriele was found in 1958 with the removal of 7,375,426 cubic meters per year, corresponding to an average flow rate of 234 l / s. Currently the yield has dropped significantly, going from 234 l / s recorded in '58, just over 80 l / s with peaks that reach sometimes flow of 100 l / s.

To allow the constant water supply to the city of Palermo, the various AMAP centers located in the territory of Palermo must ensure the constant pumping of about 1200 l / s of water. The center visited provides on average 50% of the needs of the city. The approximately 600 l / s of water produced by the plant derive from the sources (about 200 l / s) which do not require treatment, and may be placed on the network, immediately after their outcrop from the water bearing stratum that already acts as a natural filter as well as tanks and from the purification of the water coming from the basin of Albanians Plain who produces on average 400 l / s of water.

The waters coming from the basin, reach the plant by means of installations that work according to the principle of the fall by gravity. This makes this establishment, one of the few all over the world that does not require special bridges for the transport of waters. As soon as the waters arrive at the plant, they go through various tanks where step by step the purification process that leads them to become clear , odorless and bacterially sterile as those that come from the sources is carried out. The purification process starts with the placing of chlorides of chlorine in water . This has the task of weighing down the pollutants, forming crystals that by gravity settle themselves on the base of the tanks, where they form what we call mud.

Subsequently the waters partially purified and sterilized, pass into other tanks using a sand filtration process , so that the water passing between the sand particles, goes to deposit the last scraps that had resisted to the first purification pass. The waters completed this cycle come out clear and drinkable. It should be emphasized that the water coming out from the plant brings with it a very small amount of chlorine agreed by law, which allows it to remain sterile from the bacteriological point of view, until it reaches our homes.

In conclusion, this visit has had a fundamental importance for the students of the project, because it has helped them to achieve awareness and to change their mind about the prejudices that exist against home water , considered by many dirty and undrinkable. If you must drink water, choose one coming from the water network and do not rely on the bottled one that more often has a good taste, but that actually hides many chemical compounds that are dangerous for our body .