The new WWTP Faro/Olhão will finally be awarded «in April», announced the Secretary of State for the Environment during his visit to the Algarve last week.
Carlos Martins, during the launching ceremony of the foundation stone of the Companheira WWTP, in Portimão, highlighted the «recent approval of a package of 30 million euros of applications from Águas do Algarve to PO SEUR», an operational program in the area of the environment, in which the most voluminous investment is, precisely, the construction of the new water treatment plant. wastewater that will serve the municipalities of Faro and Olhão, which should cost 15 million euros.
These investments, underlined the Secretary of State, are intended to "follow the challenges that arise in this territory of the Algarve".
The new WWTP Faro/Olhão will allow the replacement of the WWTP of Olhão Poente and Faro Source, frequent targets of complaints by the population, environmentalists and shellfish collectors.
The company Águas do Algarve itself, when launching the international public tender, in February 2015, had already admitted that the two WWTP to be replaced are «underdimensioned given the current conditions of affluence (qualitative and quantitative)».
Furthermore, these “old ladies” treatment stations “are based on lagoon systems, which are inadequate given the quality levels now required for the treated effluent to be discharged into the receiving environment”.
The new infrastructure to be built will receive sewage from the parishes of three municipalities, namely from Faro (Union of Parishes of Faro, Union of the Parishes of Conceição and Estoi), of São Brás de Alportel (Parish of São Brás de Alportel) and of Olhão (Parishes of Olhão, Pechão and Quelfes).
The future WWTP Faro/Olhão will be located at the location of the current WWTP of Faro East, in the municipality of Faro, about two kilometers east of the city of Faro, on a parcel in Sítio da Garganta, included in the lagoon area of the Ria Formosa. The work should have an execution period of about two years.
The Secretary of State for the Environment also announced that, of the package of 30 million whose financing is already guaranteed, there is also the completion of «infrastructures in Vila do Bispo», the construction of pumping stations in the municipality of Albufeira, «to solve specific problems» , or the deactivation of the old WWTP in Olhão.
This old structure will be transformed into a «lifting station that will carry the effluents to the new WWTP Faro/Olhão», said Carlos Martins.
On the fringes of Companheira's WWTP foundation stone ceremony, the new Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of Águas do Algarve told the Sul Informação that the €30 million investment package includes, in addition to the new WWTP Faro/Olhão, the construction of Elevator Systems in Vila do Bispo and Sagres, from Faro/Olhão and also in Algoz (Silves). The rehabilitation of the pipeline that collects and transports sewage from Portimão, Lagoa and Monchique to the Companheira WWTP is also planned.
On his visit to the Algarve last week, the Secretary of State for the Environment opened the new WWTP in Vila do Bispo, participated in the laying of the foundation stone of the future WWTP of the Companheira and also presided over the inauguration of the photovoltaic plant installed by the company Águas do Algarve at the Water Treatment Plant in Tavira.
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