Ferries sent back

No water supply: Tourist stop for Capri

Long queues formed at the port of Molo Beverello in Naples after the stop for ferry tickets to Capri.

(Bild: picturedesk.com/PA)

Since Saturday morning, tourists have no longer been allowed to go ashore on the Italian Mediterranean island of Capri, which is popular with holidaymakers. The reason: following a fault in the water pipe that supplies Capri with water from the mainland, the island's supply has collapsed.

At present, only Capri residents are allowed to enter the island, according to a decree issued by the mayor.

In this emergency situation, Capri has no water supplies to 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 is only coming from local water reservoirs, which are in danger of running out without supplies from the mainland.

Long queues in ports
This emergency situation is exacerbated by the daily influx of thousands of tourists, the decree went on to say. In isolated areas in the west of Capri, there is already no more water.

At the ports on the mainland, the halt in tourist arrivals had immediate consequences. Following the mayor's decree, ticket sales for the ferries were suspended, as reported by the Ansa news agency. 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.

Breakdown in the main water pipe
On Thursday, the main water pipeline in the municipality of Castellammare di Stabia in the southern Italian region of Campania broke down. The pipeline supplies Capri and the Sorrento Peninsula.

Although the repair work had been completed on schedule, technical problems had occurred again, according to the water supplier Gori. As a result, the water supply is still interrupted. Work is continuing to rectify the problems and restore the supply.