According to the National Water Resources Information System, the region currently has more than 122 hm3 in its reservoirs.

The volume of water stored in the Algarve’s dams increased by about 25% at the end of March. However, the president of Águas do Algarve stated that maintaining this increase requires a reduction in consumption.

Speaking to Lusa, António Eusébio said that the last week of March “was generous, increasing the volume of water stored by around 30 cubic hectometers [hm3], that is, 25%” in the Algarve’s reservoirs, compared to the same period last year.

“We were at about 90 cubic hectometers, and now we have over 122 cubic hectometers in the reservoirs.” However, the director of the company responsible for supplying water to the 16 municipalities of the Algarve warned that despite “becoming calmer, we must continue to use water very sparingly.”

According to data from the National Water Resources Information System (SNIRH), the water level in all river basins in the Algarve increased in March, a region that was experiencing a mild meteorological drought at the end of February.

For the president of the company that manages the supply of water for human consumption in the region, the rain has restored some normality, but this does not mean that one can “spend water at will” because the reserves are still not enough to be “relieved”.

“We must maintain all precautionary measures in the management of water resources, reducing consumption so that we can guarantee our sustainability and quality of life for the future”, highlighted António Eusébio.

The SNIRH data indicates that the water level in the Bravura Dam, in the western part of the Ribeiras do Algarve basin, increased to 20.8% on March 31, which is double the level observed in February. However, it still remains the dam with the lowest water level in Portugal.

The data also revealed the Ribeiras do Algarve and Arade basins, including the Funcho (53.1%), Arade (17.5%), and Odelouca (41.4%) dams, have values below the averages of the 1990 reference period (1991 to 2023).

On the last day of March, the Odeleite (47.2%) and Beliche (39%) reservoirs, both in the eastern (Sotavento) Algarve, had water storage of less than 50% of their capacity.

For the Águas do Algarve president, “Despite this increase caused by recent rain, the water levels in the Algarve dams are still below average for the season, but they allow us to face the future with greater optimism, compared to the worrying situation that occurred at the beginning of the year”, he concluded.