A TUNNEL-RESERVOIR TO QUENCH THE
GREAT THIRST OF THE ISLE OF ELBA
The insularity and in many ways
much appreciated characteristics of the environment have always
posed serious obstacles to solving the problem of drinking water
supplies on the Isle of Elba. To collect the surface waters of
the rainiest area and conserve them in the cool and dark with
a tunnel excavated entirely through rock means having large volumes
of the valuable liquid to meet the whole water requirement of
the island directly by gravity and with excellent fresh drinking
waters freeing it of its current dependence on precarious supplies
from Val di Cornia on the mainland and, since the tunnel runs
entirely underground, without causing any damage to the environment.
This is the main result that the works described in this article
are capable of providing. Other benefits, listed in detail, of
minor importance but not to be overlooked, range from the curbing
rivers in flood to alleviate damage caused by foods to the availability
of huge quantities of aggregates for the building industry which
makes an important contribution to the economy of the island and
helps lower the cost of the works.