Almada and EPAL sign agreement to bolster water supply resilience

The Almada City Council, the Municipalized Water and Sanitation Services of Almada (SMAS), and EPAL (Empresa Portuguesa das Águas Livres) have signed a collaboration agreement to enhance the resilience and sustainability of the municipality's water supply system.

The agreement aims to address increasing pressure on water resources caused by climate change, demographic shifts, and rising consumption needs. Currently, Almada's water supply relies on underground sources from the Setúbal Peninsula aquifer. To mitigate risks of service interruptions during emergencies or system failures, the parties are studying the diversification of water sources.

As part of this partnership, EPAL will conduct a technical study to evaluate the feasibility of supplying water to Almada through its own system, which possesses existing water catchment, treatment, and transport capabilities in the nearby area. The study will consider two supply scenarios, with capacities ranging between 4 to 6 million cubic meters per year and between 10 to 12 million cubic meters per year.