Groundwater Impacts and Sustainability in Italian Quarrying: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Existing Technical Standards

• Published in: Water (Basel) Vol. 17; no. 14; p. 2044
• Main Author: Paoletti, Matteo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.07.2025
• Subjects: Drinking water; Environmental aspects; Environmental impact; Environmental protection; Geology; Groundwater flow; Groundwater pollution; Hydrology; Legislation; Methods; Mineral resources; Mining; Pollution control; Prevention; Quarries; Quarries and quarrying; Surface water; Sustainability; Sustainable development; Water resources; Water shortages; Water, Underground; Italy
• ISSN: 2073-4441; 2073-4441
• DOI: 10.3390/w17142044

Quarrying is a key driver in economic growth but also poses significant environmental impacts, particularly on groundwater resources. With approximately 4000 active quarries and diverse hydrological and hydrogeological conditions across Italy, the need for effective regulations that ensure both sustainable extraction and groundwater protection is paramount. This study analyzed the European directives, national legislation, and regional quarrying plans governing extractive activities, with a particular focus on groundwater protection. By analyzing the Italian quarries and their main hydrogeological characteristics, the most prevalent hydrogeological scenarios associated with quarrying activities across the country have been identified. The findings reveal significant gaps in the current regulatory framework, characterized by fragmentation and inconsistency across regions. Critical concerns across the quarry lifecycle (planning, excavation, and reclamation) are not comprehensively addressed, and mandatory monitoring and safeguard requirements are lacking. A more structured regulatory approach could incorporate key parameters identified in this study, particularly quarry size and groundwater level depth relative to the excavation plan. Additionally, hydrogeological vulnerability must be considered to guide risk assessment, particularly for alluvial and limestone hydrogeological complexes, which host a substantial number of Italian quarries and require stricter safeguards due to their high susceptibility to contamination and hydrodynamic alterations.