Environment agency says it can work with “peace of mind” now implementing projects
The Algarve’s dams are averaging 79% of their total storage capacity after recent rains, which translates into ‘almost three years of consumption’ for the region, according to president of Portuguese Environment Agency APA.
“This situation allows us to work with some peace of mind on implementing the projects underway to give the region greater resilience,” admits Pimenta Machado.
The figures don’t take into account the passage this week of depression Martinho, which brought with it even more rain.
The APA chief stresses the need for the region to remain focused on carrying out projects already underway, such as combating water losses in the current distribution network and speeding up the process of using water from the Waste Water Treatment Plants (WWTP) to water golf courses and gardens.
“This is a fundamental issue. It doesn’t make sense to use the water we have to water golf courses and gardens,” he explains, also referring to projects underway “such as the construction of the desalination plant in the municipality of Albufeira: work to capture water in Pomarão, in the municipality of Mértola (Alentejo), and the construction of a pipeline to the Odeleite reservoir, in the municipality of Castro Marim”. (As the Resident has said in the past, these projects are not consensual, and certainly in the case of the desalination plant there are various lawsuits in place not least from local fishermen – to fight it, particularly on environmental grounds).
In the western Algarve, a link via Santa Clara dam in the Alentejo is being studied ‘to give greater resilience’ to that side of the Algarve. Other ongoing projects include the study of the possible construction of the Alportel dam and the project for the new Foupana dam (again, these are all being challenged by environmental associations).
“Algarve is much calmer“
But there is no doubt that “the Algarve is much calmer at the moment”, says Pimento Machado, suggesting the region has 200 more cubic hectometres of water stored than it had this time last year.
As for dams that until recently were still worryingly low, Bravura is now at 49% of capacity, when in December it was at just 11%, and the Arade is at 58%, when a few months ago it was the only one in the country below 10%.
Pimenta Machado also said that preventive discharges made in recent days at the Odeleite (97%) and Beliche (92%) dams should be suspended ‘very soon’.
