Sogip towards the silver wedding: twenty-five years of water management and excellent services for Acireale

There is little time left until the "silver wedding" between Acireale and the Public Utilities Management Company, better known as Sogip, the "public company" established in 2003 in continuity with the preparatory actions initiated after the resolution of the City Council adopted in December 2002 that effectively established it. About a quarter of a century, during which Sogip has managed to establish itself even beyond the borders of Acireale, gaining the trust of nearby municipalities that have chosen to rely on it, recognizing the “public company” that, at the time, was the result of a fortunate intuition by Dr. Salvatore Messina, now the sole administrator of the entity and once the cornerstone of the Waterworks Office of the Municipality.

Over the years, Sogip has been the protagonist of a growth that has projected it into an increasingly broader dimension, not only due to the expansion of its boundaries but also – and above all – for the quality of the service provided, which has long been extended from water to gas and beyond. A journey marked by extraordinary results, achieved also thanks to the management developed by Dr. Messina, starting with the general director, Ing. Santo Leotta. Defining Sogip as the jewel in the crown of the Acireale municipal “galaxy” seems obvious, and in this sense, on the occasion of the "World Water Day", the attention of the company's leadership towards the precious liquid does not go unnoticed, considered not as a "commodity to be commercialized", but exactly as a resource to be used prudently.

“The recommendation we always make to everyone – observed the sole administrator of Sogip – is that water is not an unlimited resource and, therefore, we must act in the spirit of savings, without waste. When we waste water, we do nothing but lower the level of the supply sources. This means that a greater amount of electricity is needed for pumping from wells. And, consequently, the additional electricity required also means a higher incidence of pollution sources. Therefore, it is a circular and virtuous discourse that features a citizen ready to save water in the awareness of respect for the environment.”

A significant fallout, in short, is linked to the appeal launched by Director Messina, always ready to combine aspects of a social nature with strictly economic ones. Sogip has a source supply that manages to meet the needs of the Acese population without worries, ensuring affordable rates and, above all, the coverage of a service that, in other centers of the Island, unfortunately, does not always seem adequate, judging by what daily reports indicate. Acireale and the other municipalities served by Sogip can, in short, consider themselves “happy islands” when it comes to water services, and in this regard, Dr. Salvatore Messina added: “Today we are in a position to not have to suffer any concern for the crises that loom on the horizon, starting from the lack of rainfall or the lack of snow on Etna, elements that cause fears of possible service disruptions regarding the lowering or depletion of aquifers. We do not have these problems, as the availability we enjoy is about twice the amount we need, as we have intended to foresee in our industrial plans.”