A bit of history...
The Albano pumping station drifts the necessary flow for the irrigation of 27,000 hectares of the Consorzio di Bonifica Basso Piave from the Livenza river. The Livenza derivation and the downstream system were studied in the 30's to meet the irrigation
needs of the newly reclaimed area, as the possibility of using the waters of the Piave has disappeared.
The natural fall derivation in operation since 1931 was flanked by the pumping station, for the derivation of the 23.3 m3/s granted, of which 13.3 coming in Livenza river from the Piave river to compensation for water retained on mountain lakes
for hydroelectric purposes.
The plant came into operation in 1940, but at that time only two of the four electric pumps were installed, each designed for pumping 6 m3/s.
With the irrigation development, the need to complete the plant and adapt it to the new requirements has become more pressing, as in the meantime the Livenza’s levels have significantly decreased: due to the new derivations granted, to the reduction
until the cancellation in the drought years of the capacities coming from the Piave and discharged into Livenza by Enel because of the known problems related to the uses of the Piave itself and finally for the works to adapt the flood flow
of the river valley section.
The plant is now sized for a flow rate that varies continuously from 3 to 23.3 m3/s at the prevalence of m 3.00, automated in an hourly function but with automatic insertion and detachment depending on Livenza levels.
