Lagoa council has taken its leaking water supply system and, since 2013, has renewed significant sections in an effort to reduce water loss.
According to the 2016 report from the council’s water supply service, the percentage of water lost at the year-end was 29.5%, a drop of over 10% compared to 2013 when 40% of domestic water was lost between supplier and consumer.
Lagoa has done well as its water loss figures have been reducing year-on-year as the systems undergoes replacement and refurbishment. By comparison, the UK's water loss is around 19%.
Some 300 households in Caramujeira will soon be on the mains with 96% of Lagoa’s population now able to access drinking water.
Over in Faro the new Wastewater Treatment Plant that will serve Faro and Olhão is going well and should be completed in June, 2018.
One of the reasons for this brisk progress is that the work was replanned so that a feared stoppage during the bird nesting season did not have to take place, also, the private contractor ordered key plant in advance to avoid having to hang around for equipment.
Joaquim Peres, chairman of Águas do Algarve, said the €14 million investment means the old sewage plants can be closed and the evil-smelling lagoons currently filled with decomposing excrement can be done away with, to the olfactory delight of residents.
Peres also claimed that only clean water will be pumped into the Ria Formosa when the new high-tec treatment plant is on-stream. Other uses for this grey water include irrigation of municipal green areas.
As for the old lagoons, when emptied out, can be ‘renaturalised’ according to Peres who is looking for innovative ideas.
