Visits to the Water Treatment Plant (ETA) in Tavira, on March 22, from 15:00, to the Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) in Albufeira Poente, on the same day and time, and to the Water Treatment Plant in Alcantarilha, on the 23rd, also from 15 pm, are some of the activities of the company Águas do Algarve as a way of celebrating the World Water Day, which marks the 00nd of March.
In addition to these, there will also be the launch of the fourth edition of the photography competition “Water through my eyes”, which aims, according to Águas do Algarve, to encourage «environmental values» and alert «to the need to preserve natural resources and the consequent sustainability of our planet».
«Through the image we can express thoughts, actions and behaviors for environmental preservation and protection. We also want this competition to make a significant contribution to building a more sustainable and environmentally responsible society», adds the Algarve company.
The United Nations (UN) defined as the theme for this World Day “Waste water and the reuse of effluents”.
“The amount of water in the world is always the same. The important thing is not to pollute the sources and that the water already used has a return to the environment with adequate quality and treatment so that it is released into the receiving body (rivers, sea and lakes) without causing damage to health and ecosystems", says the Waters of the Algarve.
The closing of the 7th edition of the “Agua Jovem” project will take place on the 22nd, at Quinta Pedagógica de Silves. This action, which "wanted to raise awareness among young people in the Algarve of the importance of their contribution to the enhancement of the region's natural and water resources", was aimed at students from 1st, 2nd and 3rd cycle schools in the Algarve.
Everyone was able to present works with the theme “Access to Water is a fundamental right”, “Sustainable Tourism for Development” or “Lagoa dos Salgados”.
The Tavira Water Treatment Plant treats surface water from the Odeleite and Beliche reservoirs. It has a maximum daily production capacity of 190.000 cubic meters, divided into two phases of 95.000 cubic meters each. The maximum population served is about 460.000 inhabitants, and it is expected to reach 530.000 inhabitants by the year 2024.
As for the Albufeira Poente Intermunicipal WWTP, which is located in the parish of Guia, it serves the municipalities of Albufeira, Silves and Lagoa. Its installation was dimensioned to serve 133.900 inhabitants in the project horizon, corresponding to an average daily flow of 28.119 cubic meters per day. The Albufeira Poente interceptor system is about 45 kilometers long and consists of a set of 15 pumping stations.
The Alcantarilha WTP treats surface water from the Odelouca reservoir (since 2012) and groundwater from the intakes of Vale da Vila and Benaciate. Surface water is added to the Alcantarilha WWTP by gravity, through a pipeline measuring 2,5 meters in diameter and approximately 12 kilometers in length from the Odelouca tunnel.
This ETA is located about 10 kilometers from Silves and 12 kilometers from the Odelouca Tunnel, near the town of Alcantarilha – Gare. Its construction began in October 1998 and was completed at the end of 1999.
The United Nations (UN) established the 22nd of March as World Water Day in 1992, with the aim of leading to reflection on the importance of this resource and on the best ways to use it more rationally.
«The date is destined to discuss the themes related to this most important and necessary good that nature gives us and that is so often relegated to lower planes among those that are necessary for life. It is a theme that should not be highlighted only on this day or this month of March, but also on the other 364 days of the year. It is necessary to take daily actions that collaborate in the preservation and economy of this natural good», concludes Águas do Algarve.
In 2018, the theme of World Water Day will be “Natural Solutions for Water”.
Registration for activities can be done here
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