The Tiber redevelopment project, aimed at making the river suitable for bathing by the Jubilee of 2033, officially enters its operational phase. In fact, the plenary meeting to start work on the environmental redevelopment project took place a few hours ago, with the formation of four working groups that will monitor and analyze the current situation of the river and its water resources.
The issue of bathing on the Tiber is a complex and long-standing issue. At this moment, the first step concerns the census of discharges into the river, both authorized and unauthorized.
Also weighing on the quality of the water is the pollution that comes from the Aniene, a tributary of the Tiber which collects and pours pollutants into the main river, further complicating the idea of being able to make it suitable for bathing in a short time. The working groups, including one dedicated to the analysis of contaminants in collaboration with the Istituto Superiore di Sanità and ARPA Lazio, will try to monitor the situation, but it is not yet clear whether the declared objectives can actually be achieved.
Meanwhile, another group will focus on the hydrological mapping of the Tiber, a crucial aspect for understanding the main factors that contribute to poor water quality and how to intervene to improve the situation. The difficulties linked to the presence of unauthorized discharges, pollution deriving from other sources and the complexity of the ecological restoration of the river make the challenge particularly difficult.
The goal of making the Tiber swimmable is certainly an interesting prospect, but much more than simple monitoring will probably be needed to realize such a project. Progress will probably be gradual, and it is not certain that actual bathing can be achieved by 2033. It is true that this analysis and rehabilitation work could still improve the ecological quality of the river and, in perspective, return to Rome a cleaner and more liveable river, even if not necessarily bathable in the future.
