ITT Flygt S.p.A. has worked with the water purification plant at Priolo from its inception. ITT Flygt engineers helped design some of the plant's key processes, and ITT Flygt devices are a crucial working part of the plant. "This has been one of our most important and long-standing collaborations," says Francesco La Rosa who heads ITT Flygt's Catania office.

ITT Flygt mixers are crucial to the sediment-clearing process at the intake of industrial sludge. These submersible mixers help bring in the sludge and push out the fresh sea water. Developing this process was not simple, however. Conventional large-scale industrial mixers were required, but the available sources of electricity were limited. However, ITT Flygt was able to provide a product that could fulfill these contradictory technical requirements and the rest is history.

Now the plant also treats sewage from the communities of Priolo and Melilli and from small businesses in the area. As growth in the region surges, Gianino says he hopes to hook up still more small businesses. "We are getting an increasing number of requests from small businesses, like restaurants and bowling alleys, which find compliance with environmental regulations complex and difficult."

The I.A.S is also helping to save the fresh water re-sources in the arid island. "We are working with the local authorities on several future projects that will preserve fresh water," says Sinatra. "Our role of pre-serving the local environment while helping local in-industry is only beginning."

The plant nearby the city of Siracusa in Sicily is run by I.A.S. The plant itself is old but over the last couple of years the management has gradually refurbished it. During the period from 1994 till today the plant has bought some 19 mixers 97 x 4451 + 12 x 4670 in stainless steel, 15 sewage pumps 10 x 3300 + 3 x 3152 + 2 x 3127, plus various other accessories like grids, control instruments, small relase pumps, valves etc from ITT Flygt AB and the cooperation proceeds.