Under the Patronage of ANIPA, IAH Italy and ISPRA

About the Journal

Acque Sotterranee - Italian Journal of Groundwater is one of the oldest European journals dealing with groundwater. Papers on today widespread subjects, such as groundwater remediation and ground source heat pumps, were already published back in 1984.

Since June 2012 the former Acque Sotterranee is named Acque Sotterranee - Italian Journal of Groundwater (AS/IT JGW), with a new editorial form, publishing peer-reviewed scientific in English. The journal deals with the multiple aspects of groundwater resources, from drilling technologies to contamination, groundwater/surface water interaction, hydrogeochemistry, numerical modelling, etc. Although the published papers span all around the globe, special attention is paid to the Mediterranean countries and more in general to the European area and its border countries, as well as the Italian socio-economic context. The journal's goal is to link the academic world, professionals, authorities, private and public companies by presenting up to date scientific and technical papers. 

The published papers concern description of hydrogeological systems and processes, water resources management, natural system dependence on groundwater, climate change, drilling and abstraction, contamination hydrogeology, groundwater remediation technologies, hydrogeophysics, agrohydrology, geothermal energy production, socio-economical dependence and anthropogenic impact on groundwater systems, groundwater monitoring, just to name a few.

The online Journal is Open Access and free of charge. It is published four times a year (at the end of March, June, September and December). Each issue presents: an editorial message;  4/6 scientific papers in English; technical and historical invited news column (legislation, hydrogeophisics, hydrogeochemistry, modeling, etc. in Italian or English); technical notes on drilling techniques and water wells. The journal accepts original papers (peer reviewed), technical reports (peer reviewed), technical notes (not peer reviewed). Submitted papers undergo a double-blind peer-review process. We guarantee a first decision within 5 days from submission (on average) and a final decision on the manuscript between 60 and 90 days (on average) since the date of submission. 

Acque Sotterranee - Italian Journal of Groundwater obtained the patronage of the National Association of Hydrogeology and Water Wells (ANIPA), of the Italian Chapter of the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH-Italy) and of the Geological Survey of Italy (ISPRA).

Announcements

Special Issue - Call for Papers - Safety and protection of groundwater for drinking use

17 April 2026
Special Issue - Call for Papers

Safety and protection of groundwater for drinking use

Groundwater, extracted from wells and springs, supplies nearly 50% of the world’s drinking water and accounts for approximately 85% of the water distributed through the Italian aqueduct network, making it a strategic resource for public supply. Ensuring access to safe water, both in terms of quantity and quality, is a fundamental right. The recent EU Directive 2020/2184 on the quality of water intended for human consumption, transposed into Italian law through Legislative Decree No. 18 of 23 February 2023 and Legislative Decree No. 102 of 19 June 2025, sets out two key objectives: protecting human health by preventing contamination of drinking water and ensuring it is clean and safe; improving access to drinking water for all citizens.

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