Almada water cuts and Brazil storm plans highlight service strains
In the Portuguese municipality of Almada, officials announced night‑time water supply cuts for more than 20 localities, beginning at 22:00 on Thursday and continuing nightly until at least the following Friday. The suspensions aim to restore depleted reservoirs; more than half of Almada’s twelve water tanks are below normal, with four classified as “alert”. Measures also include banning non‑essential water use and drilling two new supply wells that add 120 m³ per hour.
In Brazil, the Rio Grande do Sul utility Corsan activated a severe‑weather contingency plan ahead of forecast intense thunderstorms, mobilising crews, equipment and generators across 317 municipalities to protect water and sewage services. Separately, the city of Sapucaia do Sul started a desassoreamento project on the Arroio José Joaquim, investing over R$ 1 million to increase flood‑water capacity and reduce flood risk. Other Brazilian towns reported water outages and maintenance activities to safeguard supply amid storm threats.