The paper industries in Lucca, Italy rely heavily on water resources for their operations. In the early 20th century, many mills and factories were established along local waterways. While these industries promoted economic growth, they also placed significant demands on water usage and caused environmental problems. Today, paper factories have taken steps to reduce their water consumption and environmental impact by recycling water within their processes and constructing new water infrastructure like an industrial aqueduct. However, using less water creates new issues around pollutant concentration, and challenges remain in fully replacing groundwater usage.

1. 5. How the paper industries use layer and
superficial water and the problems that derive
from this.

2. Water promotes and determines the economy of our territory.
You could count at least 40, and they were
mills, textile and woollen industries.
The most important were: the Textile
industry “Oliva” at Piaggione the
hessian jute factory “Balestrieri” in
Ponte a Moriano, the thread factory
Niemack (later Cucirini Cantoni &Coats)
at Acquacalda.
In the 1910s the first paper mills and
factories were set up.
Jutificio «Balestrieri»
Cucirini Cantoni Coats
The bond between water and the
industries of Lucca has always been
decisive.
In the 1920s, along this course, there
were a lot of factories quite
important for the economy of the
city.

3. Today a lot of the ancient mills have become museums
( The Menicone Mill), some big industries have closed
(the hessian jute factory “Balestriere and the thread
factory Cucirini Cantoni &Coats) others have been
bought by international firms (Italcarta), very few are
still owned by the original families of Lucca (Pasquini
of the Paper factory Lucart and Stefani-Lazzereschi
for Sofidel)
Molino Menconi
Lucart
Cardella

4. Water can be considered
one of the main resources
used in the paper process

6. Environmental impact of the paper factories
Use of water
Water sewers
Use of Energy (electrical, fuels)
Visual impact
Emergencies (fires, loss of liquids)
Use of chemical products
Smells
Waste
Contamination and use of soil
Emissions in the atmosphere
Noise

7. How the water layer of the Plain of Lucca has dropped in time

8. Measures adopted by the paper industry in
relation to pumping water from the
underground water tables

9. The firms have now started to study and test
how to manage in an efficient way this resource,
through the recycling of water in the phases of the
working process so as to limit the pumping of
water from the wells.
Water use in the paper industry
Today the province of Lucca remains the seat of one of the most important Italian paper groups for
the production of packaging and tissue paper. In addition to the paper factories there are also
numerous factories for the transformation of paper into finished products.
This aspect, as we have already seen in the
previous section, is particularly important for
the Plain of Lucca, which presents a drop in the
layer level.
The use of water in great quantities has caused
serious environmental damages which are now
unsustainable.

10. To reduce further the
pumping from the water layer
an industrial aqueduct called
“tubone” was built, it takes
water from the river Serchio
through a pre-existing canal
(fossa Nuova) that originates
in Ponte a Moriano and
reaches Camigliano.
Afterwards, with an interred
pipe, from Camigliano it
should take the water of the
industrial area of Capannori
Porcari to the purifying plant
Casa del Lupo.
Acquedotto delle Cerbaie
Pozzi di Paganico
Fossa Nuova
TUBONE
The present system of the new canal “tubone” which is used to
deviate the water of the river Serchio.

11. The recycling of water in the paper industry
Purification plant
Water which flows
back from the
productive process
Rain water
Water which flows
back from sewers
Chemical-physical treatment
Anaerobic treatment
Biological treatment
To the
Purification
plant
ACQUAPUR
Re-used for the productive process
The
biological/
anaerobic
phase
produces
biogas which
is sent to the
section of
energetic re
cycling for the
production of
electrical
Energy.

12. Results reached
and
some problems

13. 5,9
5,6
5,3
4,2
4,4
Tissue Packaging
Results reached
in “the environmental declaration EMAS – the Paper district of Capannori” is praised as
excellent , it reports that :
“the performances reached in the use of water make the paper factories of the Plain of Lucca an
international excellence. Results like those indicated by the graph are hardly ever reached
elsewhere.” This has also been confirmed by the average values reported in Bref (Best Reference
Document of the European
Commission) which reports
the best techniques available
in the field of application
according to the IPPC
indications
– which can be seen in
this graph.

14. … some problems. Using less water means:
A biological
increase
A higher
concentration of
pollutants
In addition the unsuccessful cleansing system, and the
irregular water supply have not permitted a definite
stop in the use of layer water.
The output of strong smells
Purifying plant - Casa del Lupo