Idrovelox's Commitment in Emilia-Romagna

Concrete assistance and hope to the population of Emilia Romagna affected by the violent flood have been and remain the mission of Idrovelox Team Petrelli. The company, established for over 50 years at the national level, responded from the very beginning of the emergency and is still in the field with personnel and equipment to contribute their experience and technology in managing post-flood activities. It counts for those who remain, and that's how Idrovelox continues to carry out its activities with dedication, cooperating with the client Hera, to restore the present and ensure a peaceful future for the Emilia-Romagna population, particularly in the provinces of Faenza, Ravenna, and Forlì-Cesena, which were hit by the violent and destructive flood last spring.

Many months have passed. Since May 2, Idrovelox, led by administrator Mario Petrelli, in close collaboration with the leaders of the Romagna multi-service company and the relevant municipal authorities, felt the human duty to assist the population in great difficulty. During the first flood, which mainly affected the province of Ravenna, Idrovelox and its collaborators responded promptly to the request for intervention. Given the scale of the environmental catastrophe and the damage caused, the company deployed a large number of qualified technicians and operators and showed unwavering commitment. The fleet of vehicles also increased significantly, with state-of-the-art equipment, including: combination jetting vacuum trucks with 2, 3, and 4 axles; recycling separators with 3 and 4 axles; trucks with cranes; vans equipped for confined spaces; general-purpose vans; large-scale hydro-excavators; vans for sanitization and disinfection.

A constant activity that had to face a second and challenging meteorological event that hit central Italy, further affecting the already exhausted population of Emilia-Romagna. The activity continued without interruption, with the addition of personnel and equipment to ensure an effective response. Technicians and operators worked day and night with large hydro-excavators to achieve rapid water drainage. Once the streets were cleared, asphalt was washed with combination jetting vacuum trucks to restore hygienic and sanitary conditions. To ensure the maximum safety of citizens and restore optimal environmental conditions, Idrovelox developed technical innovations and new technologies to equip their already advanced recycling vehicles. Through in-depth research, new machines were designed and deployed on the field to treat and separate the silt deposited in the sewer pipes, allowing the separated water to be reused, thus reducing the waste of drinking water, a primary resource already limited and to be safeguarded in an emergency situation such as the flood in Emilia-Romagna.

The importance of Idrovelox's role during the operations to secure the territory and protect the population of Emilia-Romagna was confirmed by Marcello Togni, director of Hera spa. "The extraordinary wave of bad weather in May 2023, which primarily hit Romagna and especially the province of Ravenna, required the maximum commitment of all qualified companies of the Hera Group for territory security, and in this specific case, the contribution of Idrovelox for the vacuum truck service. The availability of personnel and equipment has allowed immediate and continuous interventions in the affected areas, and collaboration with the personnel of the Hera Group has been crucial in managing the multiple requests for actions and support from local authorities." The activity was carried out in full synergy and mutual respect between the Hera Group and Idrovelox. "The long-standing relationship between the companies of the Hera Group and Idrovelox - emphasized Togni - has been of fundamental importance in managing the emergency. The competence and availability of the company supported Hera in managing and coordinating the forces in the field to support citizens, businesses, and activities affected by the flood, facing an unprecedented and epochal emergency."

Idrovelox's commitment continues today, in the post-emergency phase, focusing on the cleaning of sewer collectors, tunnels, manholes, and the sewer network, using vehicles equipped with recycling systems. The separated residual material is directly delivered to purification plants for final management. All of this is aimed at a rapid and functional restoration of the entire network. "After overcoming the most challenging phase of the emergency, the subsequent activity is of fundamental importance in restoring sewer infrastructure (networks and lift stations) with targeted planning. Hera, with the support of Idrovelox - concluded director Togni - is proceeding with the extraordinary cleaning of manholes and sewer networks, clogged by the release of alluvial mud, in addition to the normal and periodic management activities. This activity will allow the functional restoration of the network and related structures to return them to their pre-flood state as quickly as possible."