Portugal implements water security measures in Almada and Alto Alentejo

Portugal is implementing several measures to strengthen water security and infrastructure. In Almada, the municipality and EPAL have signed an agreement to study diversifying water sources. This follows a summer of supply failures in the Costa de Caparica region, which exposed the vulnerability of relying solely on the Tejo-Sado aquifer. The study will evaluate introducing surface water to create system redundancy, with potential supply capacities ranging between 4 and 12 million cubic meters per year.

Additionally, the government has tasked the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) and Águas de Portugal to study using the Castelo do Bode dam to reinforce water security in the Setúbal Peninsula, aiming to reduce dependence on a single source.

In the Alto Alentejo region, the Comunidade Intermunicipal do Alto Alentejo (CIMAA) has signed a 14.6 million euro contract to connect the future Pisão Dam to the Póvoa e Meadas water treatment plant. This project aims to secure water for 54,000 inhabitants. However, primary infrastructure works for the Pisão Dam remain suspended due to legal challenges from environmental associations, leading local leaders to call for legislative changes to hold entities accountable for delaying strategic national projects.