Utilitalia, the Italian water distribution authority, has ordered the mayors of 100 Piedmont cities and 25 Lombardy cities to stop distributing water at night.
Prolonged unusually warm weather has caused drought in northern Italy.
The region of Lombardy, where the metropolis of Milan is located, is about to declare a state of emergency due to the depletion of groundwater.
The area is plagued by the worst dry season in 70 years. It has destroyed hundreds and forced towns in the Po Valley to regulate water.
Many places have not rained for more than a hundred days. The surface of the Po River has dropped a record 7 meters.
In addition to Lombardy, the authorities are considering declaring a state of emergency in neighboring Piedmont, Veneto and Emilia Romagna. They are home to a total of tens of millions of people.
The Po River is the largest source of fresh water in Italy, and agriculture in northern Italy depends on it. The drought threatens to destroy a third of all Italian agricultural production, says Coldiretti, an association of Italian farmers.
Utilitalia, the Italian water distribution authority, has ordered the mayors of 100 Piedmont cities and 25 Lombardy cities to stop distributing water at night.