What Acquedotto Pugliese does

Acquedotto Pugliese S.p.A. (AQP) operates the largest water aqueduct in Europe, providing an integrated water service that covers the full cycle of potable water production, potabilization, transportation and distribution, sewage collection, and wastewater treatment. The company serves more than 1.3 million customers across Puglia and the Irpinia district of Campania, including over 300 municipalities, and operates over 20,000 km of pipeline network with daily treatment capacity exceeding 1.3 million cubic meters. Founded in 1902 and headquartered at the historic Palazzo dell'Acqua in Bari, AQP is a public in-house company wholly owned by Regione Puglia.

The company's technology stack is anchored by an IoT-enabled distribution network segmented into 67 digitalized hydraulic districts monitored in real time via telecontrol, the AQP Smart Meter deployed at customer premises, and a digital Control Room inaugurated in 2024 that integrates sensor telemetry into AI-driven systems for predictive maintenance, leak detection, and pressure management. Microtunnelling technology supports non-invasive pipeline installation, and cogeneration systems at wastewater treatment plants produce renewable energy (7.04 GWh in 2024). Complementing these are digital customer platforms including the MyAQP self-service portal, mobile apps, and accessibility services.

AQP's revenue is generated through ARERA-regulated usage-based water tariffs (per cubic meter) across three service components — acquedotto, fognatura, and depurazione — supplemented by one-time connection fees for new infrastructure and an emerging circular-economy stream from reclaimed water for agriculture (targeting 130 million m³/year across 76 treatment plants by 2028). FY2024 production value reached €731.2M with EBITDA of €235.1M; the company invested €453M in 2024 with €532.9M planned for 2025, making it the largest public contracting authority in Southern Italy. Distribution operates exclusively through direct channels — physical sportelli commerciali, the MyAQP portal, phone-based customer service, pagoPA, and SEPA direct debit — with no third-party resellers.

Name

Acquedotto Pugliese

Legal name

Acquedotto Pugliese S.p.A.

Website

https://aqp.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

1902

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Acquedotto Pugliese operates Europe's largest water aqueduct, providing integrated potable water supply, sewage, and wastewater treatment services to over 1.3 million customers across Puglia and parts of Campania, Italy, as a regulated in-house utility wholly owned by Regione Puglia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Utility Services

NAICS

Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131), Sewage Treatment Facilities (22132)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Raw Water Conveyance & Transmission (Aqueducts, Mains, Pumping Stations) (EUANAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Reclaimed/Reuse Water Transmission Pipelines (Regional/Interbasin) (TLAGAHAF), Design & Engineering for Renewal/Expansion (Pipelines, Pump Stations, Treatment Plants) (EUANALAD), Commercial/Residential Building Water Management & Leak Analytics Services (HSAHAGAK)

Keywords

• Water utility services
• Integrated water management
• Wastewater treatment
• Sewage collection services
• Water distribution network

Headquarters

HQ city

Bari

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Water Supply and Sewage Tariff Revenue: Acquedotto Pugliese generates revenue primarily through regulated water tariffs charged to residential, commercial, public entity, and condominium customers based on water consumption (cubic meters). Tariffs cover water potabilization, transport, and sewage management services. The tariff structure is governed by ARERA (Autorità di Regolazione per Energia Reti e Ambiente) and varies by ATO Puglia and Ambito Distrettuale Irpino. Consumption-based billing is issued quarterly (bimonthly for large consumers >=3,000 mc/year).
2. Connection and Infrastructure Fees: Revenue from new water and sewage connection fees charged to property developers, businesses, and public entities building new facilities. Fees cover technical assessments, design, permitting, excavation, pipeline installation, and network connection.
3. Reclaimed Water and Circular Economy Services: Revenue from agricultural reuse of purified wastewater — within 2028, 76 treatment plants will supply approximately 130 million cubic meters of reclaimed water annually to agriculture, representing a growing revenue stream from the circular economy.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Acquedotto Pugliese operates Europe's largest water aqueduct system, delivering the integrated water service (Servizio Idrico Integrato) across the Puglia region and the Irpinia district of Campania. The company manages the full water cycle including potable water production, potabilization, transport, distribution, sewage collection, wastewater treatment, and reclaimed water reuse for over one million customers. Its service portfolio is augmented by a digital customer portal (MyAQP), a 2024-launched Control Room for predictive network management, smart meters, and connection infrastructure services for new developments.

Product overview

Acquedotto Pugliese operates the largest aqueduct system in Europe, providing an Integrated Water Service (Servizio Idrico Integrato) that covers the full water cycle: potable water production, potabilization, transport, and distribution to residential, commercial, and public customers across Puglia and parts of Campania. The service portfolio is anchored by the core Servizio Idrico Integrato and extends through a suite of digital tools centered on the MyAQP customer portal, the AQP Smart Meter program, and the 2024 Control Room — a real-time AI-powered network monitoring and operations hub. Complementary offerings include the AQP Water Academy for professional training, the Palazzo dell'Acqua heritage center, TVA streaming media, and targeted infrastructure programs such as Risanamento Reti 4 and Acqua per Bari, which deploy smart meters, IoT sensor networks, and AI-driven predictive analytics across the pipeline infrastructure to reduce leaks, optimize pressure, and improve service reliability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MyAQP: Customer portal for managing water services, bills, and meter readings
• AQP Water Academy
• Aseco
• TVA
• Palazzo dell'Acqua
• Flexa la Goccia

Quantifiable outcome

• Water network losses reduced through 67 digital districts and real-time telecontrol enabling predictive leak detection
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core, moderate and minor.

• ABC Napoli (Acquedotto di Bali Campania)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026ABC Napoli and Acquedotto Pugliese signed a Protocollo di Collaborazione (Strategic Collaboration Agreement) focused on joint investments, technology sharing, and regulatory development to address shared challenges of drought, climate change, and water security. The partnership leverages the complementary expertise of Southern Italy's two largest water utilities and aims to create synergies in infrastructure development, innovation, and sustainable water management across the Campania and Puglia regions.
• Italian Water Utilities Consortium (ACEA Group, AIMAG Group, MM Group, SMAT)moderateStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Acquedotto Pugliese is part of an industry consortium of major Italian water utilities — including ACEA Group, AIMAG Group, MM Group, and SMAT — that have collectively deployed IoT sensors and AI systems for water network modernization. This peer network enables shared learning in digital transformation, real-time monitoring best practices, predictive maintenance, and leak detection technologies across the Italian water sector.
• Consumer Associations (ACU, ADICONSUM, ADOC Puglia, Assoutenti, Cittadinanzattiva, Federconsumatori Puglia, Lega Consumatori, Movimento Consumatori)minorOthersEight consumer advocacy associations are co-signatories of the Carta del Servizio Idrico Integrato (Integrated Water Service Charter), which establishes AQP's service quality commitments toward customers. These associations participate in customer satisfaction monitoring, dispute resolution (conciliazione paritetica), and consumer protection processes.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Publiacqua: Publiacqua is one of Italy's largest publicly owned water utilities serving the Florence/Tuscany metropolitan area with integrated water services. It operates under the same ARERA framework, with similar customer-base size, capital intensity, and digital transformation trajectory as AQP.
• ACEA Group: ACEA is one of Italy's largest multi-utility water operators, serving Rome and central Italy with integrated water, electricity, and gas services. AQP and ACEA are co-members of the Italian water utilities consortium deploying IoT and AI for network modernization, making them directly comparable on digital transformation, regulated tariff structure, and capital programs.
• AIMAG Group: AIMAG is an Italian multi-utility serving the Modena/Bologna area with water, gas, and environmental services. As a consortium peer in IoT/AI network management, AIMAG shares AQP's approach to district metering and predictive maintenance within a similar ARERA regulatory framework.
• ABC Napoli (Acqua Bene Comune Napoli): ABC Napoli is the public water utility for Naples and Campania, and AQP's 2026 strategic collaboration partner. ABC directly mirrors AQP's public in-house model, integrated water service mandate, and Southern Italian drought-climate exposure, making it the most operationally comparable peer.
• MM Group (Metropolitan Milan): MM is the in-house engineering and water-services company of the City of Milan, managing integrated water services and major urban infrastructure. As a fellow public in-house water operator and consortium member for IoT/AI deployment, MM is closely comparable to AQP in governance structure, concession model, and digital strategy.
• SMAT (Società Metropolitana Acque Torino): SMAT operates the integrated water service for the Turin metropolitan area and is one of Italy's largest publicly owned water utilities. As a fellow consortium member deploying IoT/AI for leak detection and predictive maintenance, SMAT shares AQP's regulatory framework, public-ownership model, and capital-intensive asset profile.

Broad incumbents

• A2A: A2A is a large Italian multi-utility with operations in water, electricity, gas, and waste primarily across Lombardy. As a fellow Oscar di Bilancio 2025 finalist alongside AQP, A2A shares comparable reporting standards, public-sector shareholder influence, and integrated water utility operations.
• Hera Group: Hera is one of Italy's largest multi-utility companies operating integrated water, waste, and energy services across Emilia-Romagna and surrounding regions. As a multi-utility incumbent with water as a core segment, Hera is comparable on regulated water operations, customer base diversity, and digital transformation — and was a co-finalist with AQP for the 2025 Oscar di Bilancio.
• Iren Group: Iren is a major Italian multi-utility providing integrated water, gas, electricity, and waste services primarily in Northern and Central Italy. Its water segment mirrors AQP's regulated, capital-intensive profile, and the company operates comparable district-metered smart networks across multiple regions.
• Veolia Italia: Veolia Italia is the Italian subsidiary of global environmental services group Veolia, providing water and waste services to municipalities and industrial clients. As a global incumbent with significant Italian water footprint, Veolia serves as a useful benchmark for technology adoption, leak-detection solutions, and reclaimed-water expertise applicable to AQP.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AcquedottoP
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCxqq2J7c6XHMH-Sb8bL3vJQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/AcquedottoPugliese
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/acquedotto-pugliese
• Instagraminstagram.com/acquedottopugliese

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Acquedotto Pugliese