Águas do Algarve personnel have met Faro mayor Rogério Bacalhau on a much looked forward to visit to its water, and sewage treatment plants.
Under the new directorship of Isabel Soares the mayor was treated to a review of the plants to the east and northwest of his city.
"The two plants are designed to ensure the regularity of supply of water and to improve the quality of public water supplies, as well as contribute to the integrated management of water resources in the region through the construction and operation of adequate infrastructure for treatment and final disposal and to reuse purified wastewater for proper purposes," read a thrilling statement from the company.
“These two operations have a key role in improving the quality of life of the population and the economic development of the Algarve region.”
"Given the excellent relations between the company and its shareholders and customers, and to promote a better understanding about what the company is doing in the Algarve, with investments of several hundred million euros, we are promoting these visits to all councils in the region,” Águas do Algarve reported.
This visit afforded the company a fine PR opportunity, as well as enabling its director to "clarify some issues that were raised by the mayor," which mysteriously were not reported.
Issues should have included the sewage problems in the Ria Formosa caused by Águas do Algarve which has failed to invest locally in adequate plant and equipment, planned price rises for water, and the large long-term debts owed to the company from the Algarve’s councils who also are shareholders in the business.
It will be interesting later to report on Isabel Soares’s trip to Olhão which shares the sewage problem with Faro, and to Portimão where planned and long overdue facilities already have been judged locally to be inadequate for the population’s needs.
