Novazzano makes non-potable water available to farmers

The municipality of Novazzano is making its reserves of non-potable water available to farms operating within its territory. The announcement was released by the municipal executive on Tuesday evening.

The measure responds to the water supply difficulties the sector is facing this season. The stated aim is to support agricultural businesses while limiting any further load on the municipal water network.

The conditions for withdrawal

Distribution follows a few precise rules. Water must be drawn at a point set by the municipality. Use is reserved exclusively for irrigating agricultural crops located within Novazzano's territory. Practical arrangements follow the procedures communicated by municipal services.

Interested farms must contact the municipal technical office for information and to arrange access to the reserves.

Turning to non-potable water separates two uses that normally remain distinct. Water intended for household consumption follows its own network and its own rules, while irrigation can draw on different sources, with less stringent quality requirements.

The measure concerns a single municipality and a single season. It therefore changes neither the framework of concessions nor the overall availability of the resource in the Mendrisiotto.

The municipal executive has given neither the total quantity made available nor how long the reserves will remain accessible. Farms can obtain this information from the technical office.

Its usefulness will depend on how much is actually available in the reserves and on how many farms make use of it. Should the dry spell continue, that same non-potable water could prove insufficient to cover the needs of the crops.