What Publiacqua does

Publiacqua S.p.A. is a regulated Italian water utility headquartered in Florence that holds the territorial concession for the integrated water service (servizio idrico integrato) across the Optimal Territorial Area encompassing 12 municipalities in the Florence-Prato-Pistoia metropolitan region of Tuscany, serving approximately 1.4 million inhabitants. The company's core activity is the production and distribution of drinking water, collection of sewage, and treatment of wastewater, regulated by tariffs set by the Autorità Idrica Toscana and governed under Italian S.p.A. corporate structure with €150.28 million in share capital and a headcount of 251-500 employees.

The company combines physical water infrastructure with a digital service layer. Physical assets include water treatment plants, distribution networks, and the Case Passerini wastewater treatment plant, where a new sludge drying hub will reduce dewatered sludge weight by approximately 75%. Modernization under PNRR grant funding (€65.7 million total across three 2022 awards) is driving replacement of 240,000 mechanical meters with Itron Intelis wSource ultrasonic smart meters, supported by a Nozomi Networks cybersecurity monitoring platform. Laboratory capabilities include PFAS detection using liquid chromatography with triple quadrupole and Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry, with 99% of supplied water covered by PFAS Sum parameter testing across 927 samples analyzed from 2023 to January 2025. Research collaborations with the Universities of Florence and Padova support Water Safety Plan development and non-target organic substance analysis.

The business model is a regulated utility generating recurring subscription-style revenue through water tariffs applied to residential, condominium, commercial, and public administration customers, billed monthly. Customer-facing digital channels include the MyPubliacqua self-service portal and mobile app (iOS/Android), the Acqua Alert notification service, and the Noa AI-powered virtual assistant. Public-facing transparency tools include the 'Intorno a Te' geographic information portal for real-time water system monitoring. The company is certified under UNI ISO 37001:2016 for anti-corruption management and received the Premio Regione Toscana Impresa Sicura 2025 for workplace safety.

Name

Publiacqua

Legal name

Publiacqua S.p.A.

Website

https://publiacqua.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Publiacqua S.p.A. is a regulated Italian water utility operating under territorial concession, providing integrated water service (drinking water, sewage, wastewater treatment) to 12 municipalities across the Florence-Prato-Pistoia metropolitan area in Tuscany, serving approximately 1.4 million inhabitants under tariffs set by the Autorità Idrica Toscana.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Utility Services

NAICS

Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310), Sewage Treatment Facilities (221320), Utilities (221)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Quality Monitoring, Compliance & Reporting (Sampling, Lab, Regulatory) (EUANAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water & Wastewater Utility IoT (SCADA, Leak/Quality Monitoring) (EUADAPAK), Water & Wastewater Compliance (NPDES/Stormwater, Pretreatment, Drinking Water/SDWA) (EUAHABAB)

Keywords

• Water utility services
• Wastewater treatment
• Municipal water distribution
• Smart water metering
• Integrated water management

Headquarters

HQ city

Firenze

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Water Tariffs: Revenue generated through regulated water tariffs set by the Autorità Idrica Toscana (Tuscan Water Authority). Tariffs are applied to residential, commercial, and municipal customers for water distribution and wastewater services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Publiacqua manages the integrated water service (servizio idrico integrato) for 12 municipalities in the Florence-Prato-Pistoia metropolitan area of Tuscany, covering drinking water production and distribution, sewage collection, and wastewater treatment for approximately 1.4 million inhabitants. The company's offering combines physical water infrastructure operation (aqueduct, sewerage, treatment plants) with digital customer services including the MyPubliacqua self-service portal and mobile app, the Noa virtual assistant, and the Acqua Alert notification system. Revenue is generated through regulated water tariffs set by the Autorità Idrica Toscana, with PNRR-funded modernization underway including 240,000 smart meter replacements and advanced PFAS water quality monitoring covering 99% of water supplied.

Product overview

Publiacqua is an Italian water utility managing the integrated water service (servizio idrico integrato) across 12 municipalities in the Tuscany region, serving approximately 1.4 million inhabitants. The company's product portfolio centers on water infrastructure management and delivery, combining physical water systems with digital services. The core offering includes drinking water production and distribution (acquedotto), sewage collection (fognatura), and wastewater treatment (depurazione). Digital customer-facing products include MyPubliacqua (self-service portal and mobile app), Noa virtual assistant, and Acqua Alert notification service. Infrastructure modernization is underway through PNRR-funded projects including smart metering deployment with Itron Intelis wSource ultrasonic meters, water loss reduction programs, aqueduct enhancement, and advanced PFAS monitoring capabilities. The company also operates the Intorno a Te geographic information portal for real-time water system monitoring.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MyPubliacqua
• Acqua Alert Customer self-service portal and mobile app (iOS and Android) enabling users to manage water service contracts, submit meter readings, pay bills, view consumption history, and request quotes for residential and commercial water service customers.
• Noa (L'Assistente Virtuale) AI-powered virtual assistant providing automated customer support for handling water service requests, complaints, and general information, available as an automated customer service channel 24/7.
• Smart Metering Infrastructure Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) utilizing 240,000 ultrasonic smart meters for real-time monitoring of water consumption and leak detection across the distribution network. Includes digitalization and network monitoring capabilities funded under the PNRR program.
• PFAS Testing and Monitoring Comprehensive PFAS monitoring program covering 99% of water supplied by Publiacqua, utilizing advanced analytical methods including liquid chromatography and high-resolution mass spectrometry (Orbitrap) with detection limits from 0.001 to 0.005 µg/L per PFAS compound, providing water quality assurance to residential, commercial, and municipal customers.
• Intorno a Te (Around You) Geographic information portal providing real-time monitoring of water distribution systems, location of public drinking fountains (fontanelli), infrastructure work information, and water quality data across the served municipalities for residents and the public.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99% of total water delivered covered by PFAS Sum parameter testing as of end 2024
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Itron Inc.coreTechnology or Integration · 1 February 2025Itron Inc. deployed Intelis ultrasonic smart meters with Publiacqua for real-time leak detection and municipal water infrastructure modernization in February 2025. This partnership enables advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) for the utility's water network.
• Nozomi NetworkscoreTechnology or IntegrationImplementation of Nozomi platform for cybersecurity monitoring of Publiacqua's smart metering infrastructure, enhancing protection of critical utility systems.
• ISTAL NUOVA SRLminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerContractor for water loss reduction works in the Florence-Prato-Pistoia metropolitan area under PNRR framework agreement.
• La Calenzano Asfalti S.p.A.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerContractor for metropolitan water system strengthening works including Lungarni-Firenze pipeline replacement.
• RDR SPAminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerContractor for water network maintenance in Mugello/Valdarno area under framework agreement.
• Università di FirenzecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration starting 2015 for PFAS analysis methods development and water safety studies, including Water Safety Plan development for Florence.
• Università di PadovacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration during 2021-2022 for non-target organic substance analysis in water, part of Florence Water Safety Plan development.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• ASA Livorno (Azienza Servizi Ambientali): Tuscan water utility serving Livorno province. Comparable as another AIT-regulated water operator in Tuscany with overlapping integrated water service responsibilities and similar tariff regulatory framework.
• Metropolitana Milanese (MM S.p.A.): Milan-based water utility managing integrated water service for the metropolitan area. Comparable as another large Italian municipal water utility (S.p.A.) with similar structure, scale, and AMI/smart water initiatives.
• Iren S.p.A. Italian multi-utility operating integrated water services across northern and central Italy, including Tuscany. Comparable as a regulated water utility serving multi-million residents with digital customer platforms and infrastructure modernization programs.
• Acea S.p.A. Major Italian multi-utility with water operations serving Rome and surrounding municipalities. Comparable as a regulated Italian water utility with integrated water service, smart metering initiatives, and publicly listed scale (significantly larger than Publiacqua).
• Acque S.p.A. Tuscan water utility serving the lower Valdarno area, including Pisa and surrounding municipalities. Highly comparable as a fellow Tuscan ATO water operator under the same Autorità Idrica Toscana regulator with similar scale and concession model.
• SMAT Torino: Turin-based water utility serving metropolitan Turin area. Comparable as a large Italian regulated water utility (S.p.A.) operating integrated water services with smart metering deployment and water quality monitoring programs.
• Hera S.p.A. Italian multi-utility headquartered in Bologna with significant water operations across Emilia-Romagna and beyond. Comparable as a regulated Italian water utility with similar integrated water service model, AMI rollouts, and PFAS monitoring investments.

Broad incumbents

• A2A S.p.A. Major Italian multi-utility headquartered in Brescia with water operations primarily in Lombardy. Comparable as a broader multi-utility incumbent offering integrated water service alongside energy and waste management with similar regulatory exposure.
• Suez Italia: Italian subsidiary of global water and waste services group. Comparable as an international player with Italian water concessions and related services, often serving as a benchmark for digital water and smart metering capabilities.
• Veolia Eau (Veolia Italia): Global water utility and services operator with presence in Italy through municipal concessions. Comparable as an international water utility player operating concession models similar to Publiacqua's framework, though typically via contract operations rather than ownership.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Publiacqua
• Facebookfacebook.com/PubliacquaSpA

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Publiacqua