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In buone acque You can trust tap water: it is good, safe and scrupulously controlled (on average, 99.9% of annual analyses meet legal parameters). It is also good for the environment, since it avoids the CO2 generated by the bottled water production cycle. All of this information can be found in the new "In buone acque" report: a unique document in Italy (now in its seventh edition), in which the multi-utility company presents data on water quality in the areas in which it manages the water supply service. Many good reasons to drink tap water Aside from safety, there are many reasons to prefer tap water. It is environmentally friendly, since it limits the use of plastics: Italy is in fact one of the largest bottled water consumers. In 2013 alone, at least 6 billion bottles were produced, with significant environmental impact, including in terms of CO2 emissions caused by the transport and recovery of packaging. It is cost effective: by not purchasing bottled water, you can save up to €300 per year. On the other hand, for less than €2, one thousand litres of water are available to you from the supply network. Lastly, it is safe, convenient and good: it saves you the effort of transporting cases of water home, since it comes straight from the tap, and it is also excellent to drink. Does it taste too much like chlorine? Just leave it in a pitcher for a while, or drink it cold. The numbers illustrating the dimensions of Hera's integrated water services paint an impressive picture: over 230 municipalities in Emilia-Romagna, the Northeast and Le Marche and 3.6 million residents served, an aqueduct network of over 35,000 km, 464 water treatment plants and a further 356 production and purification plants. This entire "machine" is kept efficient thanks to daily operations and investments amounting to €114.8 million in 2014. "In buone acque" was developed in collaboration with the Emilia-Romagna regional local government authority, the ARPA regional environmental protection authority, regional AUSL health authorities and Romagna Acque. The report includes a map that identifies the plants and sampling points, as well as tables broken down by province that provide the results of analyses based on 13 parameters, including a comparison with mineral water values. The full online report is enhanced by the contribution of Vincenzo Cennamo, Head of Gastroenterology at the Bologna Local Health Authority. The expert seeks to debunk some common misconceptions about water, such as the idea that tap water causes kidney stones, or that sparkling water is bad for your health. In buone acque 2015-11-02 Copia_di_LAYOUT_IN_BUONE_ACQUE_v0_pagina_interna.1446451314.jpg Over 1,900 controls per day, savings of up to €300 per year, investments of over €100 million in 2014: the new "In buone acque" report contains all of the data on the quality of tap water. LAYOUT_IN_BUONE_ACQUE_v0_2.1446451174.jpg

Real demonstration 2015-09-30 IMG_2002.1443625059.JPG An innovative information system for the integrated management of all the Environmental Services activities of the HERA Group, enhancing their quality, effectiveness and efficiency and ensuring flow traceability. hergoambiente_110.bmp

Sulle tracce dei rifiuti Tracking the recycling chain, giving guarantees on the effective recovery of separate waste collection, contributing to the transparency of the process, which is in progress thanks to the efforts of citizens and the support of the company. These are the goals of "Sulle tracce dei rifiuti" ("Tracking down waste"), the report now in its sixth edition in which Hera Group annually illustrates the data on the effective recovery of separate waste collection. Efforts to be transparent to highlight the company's strong commitment with regards to sustainability, which unfolds during the entire waste management process, from collection until the final recovery: a key chain in the so-called circular economy and the green economy. The data in "Sulle tracce dei rifiuti" ("Tracking down waste"), verified this year too by the independent DNV-GL certification body, take into account the results achieved in Emilia-Romagna, Le Marche and the North East, which speak for themselves: in 2014 94.3% of green, organic, paper, plastic, glass, wood, metal and iron waste was recovered, a 93.8% increase compared with the previous year. On average, therefore, the quantity of waste rejected by the plants in the recovery process (because, for example, it is unsuitable for recycling or it is polluted by foreign bodies) is barely 5.7% in total. The report contains 8 maps, one for each type of material collected, which make it possible to discover the main plants involved in the final recovery of waste and where they are located. In total, 188 plants are involved, 6 of which in the Bologna area (mainly composting plants), run by 167 companies, 46 of which are located in the area served by the Hera Group. The 188 plants, with a turnover of around € 10 billion, provide employment for a total of 17,000 people. Figures which demonstrate a high degree of progress in the transition from a linear economy, in which products are destined to become waste and end up in landfills, to an economy with more recovery, known for this reason as "circular". The improvement in the percentage of waste collected is also connected to the good progress in separate waste collection: in the provinces of Emilia-Romagna served by Hera the figure reached 56% in the first 8 months of 2015 (14 percentage points above the national average of 42.3%), thanks to the numerous projects activated in the various areas. In Bologna, the figure for separate waste collection reached 51.6% in August 2015, also thanks to the first results of the projects in the provincial capital. All the data is available online in the interactive section, which can be found at www.gruppohera.it/sulletraccedeirifiuti. Sulle tracce dei rifiuti 2015-09-23 banner_870x320.1443003650.jpg Sulle tracce dei rifiuti

Hera Group The European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Hera Group signed a loan agreement for €129 million, a sum that will be used to support the 2015-2019 development plans of the Italian multi-utility company listed on the Milan Stock Exchange. The loan from the bank of the European Union will be utilized for several projects on networks and plants located in the North-East of Italy: Emilia-Romagna, Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia. In particular, the funds will be invested to upgrade and expand the gas and electric energy distribution networks and public lighting plants. This loan is consistent with the EIB's policy of providing finance for industrial activities, with an impact on employment levels, a crucial aspect in this particular phase of the Italian economy. In fact, it is estimated that the Hera Group's implementation of its multi-year investment plans will have positive spillover effects in terms of job creation. The new loan will enable the Hera Group to strengthen further its financial structure and marks another milestone in the collaboration between the EIB and the multi-utility. In fact, in the last three years the EIB and Hera signed three other loan agreements (for investments in waste management and the network) for a total of €600 million. 2015-09-10 The loan will be used to upgrade networks and plants in the markets served Hera Group