Canton Drought
Water rationed in Chiasso, Balerna, Morbio Inferiore and Vacallo
The Lower Mendrisiotto water service has declared drought level 1. Washing cars and filling swimming pools are banned, and watering is allowed three times a week.
In the Lower Mendrisiotto, recommendations have given way to bans. The Lower Mendrisiotto water service, which operates through the utility AGE SA, has declared drought level 1 for the municipalities of Balerna, Chiasso, Morbio Inferiore and Vacallo. The first restrictions on drinking water use take effect immediately.
The decision follows weeks of high temperatures and no rainfall. Over the same period consumption has continued to rise. Springs and aquifers are recording a steady decline, and the supply networks are working under heavy pressure.
The appeals for restraint issued in recent weeks were not enough. According to the water service, they no longer allowed a secure supply to be guaranteed over the medium term, particularly in light of the weather forecasts.
What is no longer allowed
Washing cars and forecourts is banned with immediate effect. The same applies to filling swimming pools, including inflatable ones.
Watering remains possible, but no more than three times a week and on alternating days according to the plot number. Odd numbers may water on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Even numbers on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
The heaviest-using sectors, starting with agriculture and industry, will be contacted directly about any additional limits. The water service is asking residents to follow developments, since the crisis level may be changed.
The measure covers four border municipalities with some of the highest population density in the canton. The Lower Mendrisiotto depends on local springs and aquifers, which respond quickly to weeks without rain.
The scale of drought levels exists precisely to make that response predictable. Each level comes with a package of measures already defined, so the utility does not have to negotiate every sacrifice with residents from scratch. Level 1 touches non-essential uses and leaves domestic ones untouched.
The question of duration remains open. Forecasts point to no rainfall capable of recharging the aquifers, and moving up to the next level would bring broader restrictions. For now what is being asked of residents concerns mainly the garden, the car and the pool.
Comments
Ghandi
My dear brothers and sisters, The earth is thirsty. The springs grow weak. Therefore, from this day, certain uses of water must stop. No washing of cars. No filling of pools. Gardens may be watered only three times a week, on the days set by the number of your house. These are not punishments. They are invitations to self-restraint. Water is meant first for drinking, for food, and for cleanliness. All else is secondary. When we take more than we need, we take from our neighbour. Let us accept these limits willingly. Voluntary sacrifice today may spare us compulsion tomorrow. True wealth lies not in full pools, but in the strength to do without for the common good. May we walk this path together, simply and with love. Om Shanti.