Italy's largest drinking water desalinator will be built in Taranto. The Acquedotto Pugliese company has approved the tender to build it by 2026. The 100 million euro investment includes a plant with a capacity of 55,400 cubic meters per day of water, which will treat 1,000 liters per second and produce daily the equivalent of the water needs of 385,000 people, a quarter of the population of the Salento area. Given that Apulia imports 90 percent of the water needed for drinking from neighboring regions, thanks to desalination, the regional water scheme will acquire a new autonomous and alternative source of supply and will have a greater capacity to respond to water crises. By using brackish water - which is peculiar to the Tara River - instead of saltier sea water, power consumption will also be reduced. The work, which is designed with attention to the environment, will be the first large one in Apulia. With the desalinator, it will be possible to cope with increased summer demands and reduce water withdrawal from wells, thus contributing to the improvement of the state of the underground aquifers.