Following letters from readers requesting clarification regarding the registration of usage of water resources, the Algarve Resident publishes this article by afpop, Portugal’s largest foreigners association, in a bid to clarify some of the confusion surrounding this subject.
“The government’s Council of Ministers (Conselho de Ministros) has approved the law to extend the deadline for registration of usage of water resources until December 15, 2010.
Much has been said about the fact that boreholes with an engine up to 5wp did not have to be registered. We have contacted ARH, Algarve’s water authority, again and found out the facts.
The requirement depends on where your property, and borehole, is situated. On the site for ARH Algarve there is a map where you can find out whether you need to register or not.
On this map, some areas are marked in blue, pink or green. If your property is located in an area marked on the map with any of these colours, you will need to register your borehole regardless of the engine power. These areas are classed as restricted areas for water usage.
If, on the other hand, your property is located outside of these areas, you will only need to register your borehole if it has got an engine of over 5wp.
As far as fossas (septic tanks) are concerned, those required to be registered are the ones that drain into the soil and, again, are inside the marked areas on the map. If you are outside the marked areas, you will only have to register it when it serves 10 or more inhabitants.
This map is only available on the ARH Algarve website www.arhalgarve.pt and it covers only the Algarve. For those who live outside of the Algarve, or who do not have access to the internet, please contact your local Junta de Freguesia
(Parish Council).”
afpop can be contacted at 282 458 509 or alternatively visit www.afpop.com
Note from Editor: The ARH Algarve website is only available in Portuguese and finding the location of the map was not straight forward. If you are not fluent in the language, here is the link to the map http://licenciamentos.mapas.arhalgarve.pt/#
