Almada water supply crisis prompts crisis cabinet, apologies and political censure

Record water consumption in Almada’s municipalities – Charneca de Caparica, Sobreda, Lazarim and Costa da Caparica – has exceeded the capacity of the municipal water utility (SMAS). The first half of 2026 saw a 4.3% rise over 2025, the highest in 75 years, with some areas reporting over 14% growth.

The municipality activated a contingency plan, creating a crisis cabinet led by SMAS president Luís Palma. Measures include halving water pressure between midnight and 6 a.m., deploying tanker trucks to critical zones, and accelerating the drilling of new wells, with additional wells slated for July, year‑end, and beyond. The council apologized to residents for repeated cuts, acknowledging “the inconvenience caused” and pledging further monitoring with drones and satellite data.

Political fallout escalated as the centre‑right PSD and the left‑wing Bloco de Esquerda (BE) each called for a motion of censure against the PS‑led municipal executive, accusing it of “incompetence and inertia.” A PSD rally described the situation as “the last straw” and announced plans to seek opposition support for the censure. BE demanded the creation of a temporary commission to assess SMAS infrastructure and urged immediate provision of potable water points.

Service disruptions also affected public health facilities; the Costa da Caparica health centre closed in the afternoon of a recent Tuesday due to lack of water. Local fire stations are supplying water to residents, while the municipality pursues fast‑track licences for additional wells with the Portuguese Environment Agency.