There is a Drought: The Principality is Taking Measures to Save Water

Is Global Warming creating the heat waves on the Côte d’Azur? Whatever the cause, the heat is affecting our water… including our supplies of drinking water. Reportedly, we may already be two months ahead of ourselves this season with negative impact on the state of our water supplies. 

So what to do about it? And, of course, it’s not just Monaco but all of the South of France.

You can see the Principality’s response by sovereign ordinance in the Official Journal. Monaco is initiating a drought alert on its territory, as soon as this Saturday.

There are four levels of alert, in recognition of the drought phenomenon which is affecting Monaco and the whole of southern half of France. 

The purpose is to regulate responses to the drought and piggy-back on the system of four levels adopted in the neighbouring French department by adapting it to the Monegasque situation. This was detailed by Minister of State, Pierre Dartout at a Press Conference. 

The Four Levels of Alert

The first level is that of vigilance. 

The second level, of alert. The third, of heightened alert. 

And the fourth, of crisis.

Monegasque territory enters at the second level, namely “alert”. 

This level of “alert” prohibits:

– watering lawns, beds, planters and green spaces as well as sports fields between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. the period when the heat peak is important,

– washing boats or recreational or professional watercraft outside the strictly scheduled time slots.

– Cleaning facades and roofs.

– filling bodies of water, swimming pools, private and public spas. Exceptions are for work already in progress, in the event of a leak, for example. 

Street Cleaning 

The frequency of street and sidewalk cleaning by the Société Monégasque d’Assainissement is being adapted. The SMA uses a large part of the water from the Vallon de la Nut, unfit for drinking, but good for cleaning sidewalks. Even this source has to be more efficiently used. So washing plans are being reorganized and optimized to avoid washing with lots of water

Minister of State Pierre Dartout gave advance notice that depending on the situation and its gravity, we will have to take ever more important and effective measures to combat the effects of the drought. It is to be expected that the alert level will be reassessed from time to time and the regulations tightened, if necessary.