Mean annual rainfall varies from about 50 cm per year (20 inches) in Siciliy, to over 200 cm (80 inches) in the Alps. (1) The sources of water for Sicily are listed as : “BUYS FROM LA1025011 MAITLAND WATER, WELL 3 USGS CT617, and WELL 4, and all source types are ground water. Sources of drinking water all include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. When the water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, naturally occuring minerals are picked up and some are radioactive material. Some of the contaminants are Microbial Contaminants (viruses and bacteria from sewage plants, septic systems, wildlife, and agriculatural livestock operations), Inoragnic Contaminants (salts, metals – naturally occuring from urban stormwater runoff, industrial, or domestic wastewater dischares, oil and gas production, mining, or farming), Pesticides and Herbicides (agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential uses) Organic Chemical Contaminants (synthetic and volatile organic chemicals – by-products of industrial processess and petroleum productions – gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, and septic systems) Radioactive Contaminants (naturally-occuring – result of oil and gas productions, and mining activities). (2)
(1) http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Europe/Italy-CLIMATE.html
(2) www.dhh.louisiana.gov/OPH/Eng/Catahoula/LA1025009-SICILY%20ISLAND%20WATER%20SYSTEM.doc
(3)
