Bans on certain activities that waste precious water have been imposed in fifteen council areas of the drought-struck Alentejo, especially in the Sado river basin.
Water consumption will have to be reduced immediately due to the drought across the country but is hitting the Alentejo hard and restrictions are now agreed.
There are mandatory restrictions on the use of water for the irrigation of council green spaces, the filling of swimming pools and the washing of cars.
Public fountains are being switched off in Alcácer do Sal, Aljustrel, Alvito, Ferreira do Alentejo, Grândola, Santiago do Cacém, Sines, Viana do Alentejo, Almodôvar, Castro Verde, Redondo, Alandroal, Arraiolos, Arronches and Borba.
The Alentejo region’s mayors have held an emergency meeting with the Ministry of the Environment to work out how they are going to get to the end of the summer with no additional supplies.
Water levels of 16 reservoirs in the country are at 40% or less capacity, with the Environment Minister, João Matos Fernandes, saying that, "The situation is increasingly worrying, especially in the Sado basin area, but it seems clear that we have a solution for it.”
Although the drought situation is the worst since 1995, Fernandes guarantees that "there will be no shortage of tap water - there are no restrictions on human consumption."
The impact of the drought is being lessened by the massive Alqueva reservoir and the Permanent Commission on Prevention and Monitoring the Effects of Drought, which met on Wednesday July 19th for the first time, also has decided to ban water extraction from boreholes without special permits.
Boreholes will be opened up in Odemira, Arraiolos, Avis, Borba, Alandroal and Mértola, and €510,000 has been invested in reserving a fleet of water tankers in case water supplies needs to be shipped in.
