The Algarve is stepping up efforts to safeguard its water supply, with more than €59 million earmarked for water management projects.
The funding comes through the Algarve 2030 Regional Programme, which received 19 applications by mid-September from municipal councils and regional water company Águas do Algarve, says the Algarve’s regional development commission CCDR Algarve in a statement to the press.
Backed by 60% EU co-financing through the FEDER fund, the projects aim to reduce water losses, modernise outdated infrastructure, curb saltwater intrusion, expand the reuse of treated wastewater, and upgrade sanitation networks.
The €59 million package spans both the “alta” system – large-scale infrastructure such as reservoirs, pumping stations and adduction pipelines – and the “baixa” system, which covers local water supply and sanitation networks.
Most of the money – totalling around €39 million – is going to projects presented by Águas do Algarve for large-scale systems covering water capture, treatment, and delivery across municipalities. At the local level, 15 municipal projects worth €18.3 million focus on distribution networks, sewage collection, and the rehabilitation of aging infrastructure. Partners include municipal water companies such as EMARP (Portimão), Taviraverde (Tavira), Ambiolhão (Olhão) and Inframoura (Vilamoura), as well as the municipalities of Lagos, Lagoa, Castro Marim, Silves, and Monchique.
As CCDR Algarve points out, the European Commission has identified water as a critical resource and is calling for a 10% boost in efficiency by 2030 under its new Resilience Strategy. In line with this, the Algarve programme prioritises measures such as intelligent monitoring systems, improved sanitation networks, and the reuse of treated water for irrigation and green spaces.
José Apolinário, president of CCDR Algarve and head of the Algarve 2030 management authority, underlined the importance of the initiative: “The Algarve knows that water is life. These investments show the region’s commitment to the sustainability of one of the vital resources to the region’s development: water.” He also said that CCDR Algarve – along with the Algarve municipalities’ association (AMAL), environmental agency (APA) and Environmental Fund – will continue to follow the execution of these projects closely to “ensure their success.”
Main water projects under the €59 million investment:
- Rehabilitation of underground abstractions (Águas do Algarve) – Diversify and reinforce water sources for public supply (€7.76M)
- Renovation of Paderne WWTP & Purgatório Pumping (Águas do Algarve) – Upgrade wastewater treatment and pumping for 5,000 inhabitants (€6.20M)
- Reinforcement of water supply in Loulé (Águas do Algarve) – Expand and strengthen adduction and distribution with 22 km of pipelines (€21.87M)
- Rehabilitation and automation of high-level system (Monchique) – Reduce water losses in the supply network (€640,000)
- Intelligent integrated high-level system (Águas do Algarve) – Modernisation, automation and efficiency technologies (€4.50M)
- Expansion of sanitation in Pintadinho (Lagoa) – Improve sanitation services in the urbanisation (€230,000)
- Renovation of Sesmarias Reservoir (Lagoa) – Increase storage capacity and supply redundancy (€2.56M)
- Reduction of saline intrusion – Lagos (Lagos) – Monitor and rehabilitate boreholes to protect supply (€340,000)
- Water reuse network – Vilamoura (Inframoura) – Build 20 km ApR (Water for Reuse) network to cut potable water use by 34% (€1.49M)
- Reduction of saline intrusion – Olhão (Ambiolhão) – Rehabilitate wastewater networks and pumping stations (€670,000)
- Sewer rehabilitation and CCTV – Portimão (EMARP) – Diagnose and reduce saline water inflows (€230,000)
- Drainage rehabilitation – Armação de Pêra & Messines (Silves) – Upgrade domestic and rainwater drainage (€928,000)
- Elimination of saline intrusions – Tavira (Tavira Verde) – Modernise sanitation in coastal areas (€5.05M)
- Water supply to Castro Marim (phase 3) (Castro Marim) – Expand supply network and optimise distribution (€1.71M)
- Supply pipelines – Mexilhoeira Grande (EMARP, Portimão) – Extend public water supply network (€370,000)
- Water supply – Tinhosas (Silves) – Extend public water network to local population (€1.13M)
- Water supply – Mourição (Silves) – Extend public water network to local population (€641,000)
- Renovation of Portela Pumping Station (Silves) – Replace pumping station, cut water losses by 45% (€444,000)
- Renovation of Monte de São José Reservoir (Silves) – Expand storage capacity to 850 m³ (€750,000)
- Renovation of Vale de Lousas Reservoir (Silves) – Expand storage capacity to 7,240 m³ (€1.90M)
