Águas do Algarve invests 305 million in water projects

Aworks of desalinizadora in Albufeira and water collection in the Guadiana river, in Pomarão, will imply a joint investment of about 305 million euros (ME), today revealed the new president of Águas do Algarve.

According to Helena Lucas, the Guadiana water-taking project in Pomarão, in the municipality of Mértola, Beja district, to strengthen the water supply to the Algarve through a link to the Odeleito dam, will represent an investment of 188,7 ME, with an application already delivered of 172,9 ME to Sustainable 2030, a program funded by the Cohesion Fund.

The manager of the company that manages the multi-municipal system of water supply and sanitation of the Algarve said that the competition for water collection from Pomarão has already closed, being “seven open proposals to evaluate in the coming months”.

The new president of Águas do Algarve, who took office on October 2, spoke at a hearing in the Parliamentary Committee on Environment and Energy on the water projects of the Algarve, requested by the parliamentary group of the PS.

In relation to the Water Desalination Station of the Sea of the Algarve (EDAM), which is already in construction phase, in the municipality of Albufeira, Faro district, will cost 116.9 ME, indicated.

Águas do Algarve submitted an application of 110.3 ME to Sustainable 2030, added Helena Lucas, estimating the entry into operation of the desalinizer for the first quarter of 2029.

“ Let us hope that there will be no further delays, and that in 2029, which is our window of opportunity to build and put into service [these equipment], we can in fact be rested with regard to the water resilience of the Algarve ", supported the president of Águas do Algarve.

From the Pomarão, which will allow the capture of, on average, 16 cubic hectometers of annual water, “we will always have a chance to ensure annual water security, which we did not have before”, and with the desalinizer, which in the first stage plans to produce 16 cubic hectometers of water per year, “we can go to replenish the levels so that there is always availability for public supply”, he explained.

According to Helena Lucas, it is currently necessary to capture “about 75 public water meters per year” to ensure public supply in the Algarve.

The Portuguese Environment Agency revealed, at the end of September, that the Algarve region would start the new hydrological year on October 1, with 74% of storage in the six main reservoirs, a total of 328 million cubic meters, more 13 million than a year ago.

Also heard today in the Parliamentary Committee on Environment and Energy, the president of the Algarve Regional Coordination and Development Committee stressed that the 16 municipalities in the region have water efficiency works in progress in the urban water cycle to an estimated amount of 120 ME, aiming at reducing water losses from the current 20% “to levels of 15% by the end of the decade”.

José Apolinário revealed that the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) allowed “executing 106 ME in water investments in the Algarve”, in knowledge and monitoring of water resources, efficiency of the urban water cycle, wastewater treatment and improvement of the efficiency of agricultural irrigation systems.

The president of Tourism of the Algarve, also heard on the same parliamentary committee, said that about 130 Algarve tourist projects – representing about 30% of the regional offer of beds – have already joined the seal “Save Water”, awarded since 2024 to those who apply a set of measures to save water.

These projects reduced their annual water consumption by 12%, said André Gomes, pointing to an average savings per company “from about 7,000 euros per year”, equivalent to “two monthly bills”.

The water certification project “Save Water” will be replicated in other regions of the country, said the responsible, based on information transmitted by Tourism of Portugal.