DECO – Portuguese Association for Consumer Protection says that water supply contracts in the Algarve violate the law. All water supplying entities in the region are wrong on the same point: there is no information on alternative mechanisms for resolving conflicts.
This situation is considered "grave since the adhesion to arbitration is mandatory for these entities".
DECO, in a statement, appoints AMBIOLHÃO, Municipal Environmental Company of Olhão, E. M, EMARP, EM, SA, Fagar, EM, Infralobo – Infrastructure Company of Vale do Lobo EM, Inframoura, EM, Infraquinta, EM, Municipality of Albufeira, Municipality of Alcoutim, Municipality of Aljezur, Municipality of Castro Marim, Municipality of Lagoa, Municipality of Lagos, Municipality of Loulé, Municipality of Monchique, Municipality of S. Brás de Alportel, Municipality of Silves, Municipality of Vila do Bispo , Taviraverde – Municipal Environment Company, EM, Vila Real de Santo Antonio, Urban Management Society, EM, that is, all supplier entities in the region.
In addition to this issue, DECO adds that supply contracts, "even those made available to consumers, for the most part, do not have information about the beginning of the provision of the service, billing and collection, the service suspension regime and the customer support service'.
DECO regrets that "six years after the entry into force of the law that obliges all managing entities to provide this information, the rules are still not complied with."
These results for the Algarve do not differ much from the reality in the country. At the end of 2014, DECO, «from a national sample of 124 municipalities, which corresponds to 64% of the population, ie more than 6 million Portuguese, collected the service regulations and water contracts of the managing entities, having concluded that a considerable part of the service regulations do not enshrine essential rules of consumer rights and that, even more seriously, almost all managing entities do not make contractual conditions available to users'.
DECO demands "in addition to greater supervision of managing entities", the "creation of a mandatory commercial relations regulation for all, with rules on contracting, billing and complaints, and a regulation on quality of service, with an automatic compensatory regime for consumers, in the event of non-compliance by these entities'.
However, at least EMARP has already reacted, contesting the content of DECO's statement.
O Sul Informação it has already contacted, by e-mail, all municipalities and municipal water supply companies in the Algarve, mentioned by DECO, asking for clarification on the accusations made against it.
Updated at 11:25 am on the 28th – with the link to the article with the EMARP response and the paragraph with the contacts made.
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