Three rehabilitation works on municipal water supply systems that are underway in Loulé, whose main objective is to reduce losses and save water, were visited on Tuesday by representatives of the Algarve Intermunicipal Community (AMAL).
The entities managing these projects, registered in the Recovery and Resilience Plan, are the municipal company Inframoura and the Câmara de Loulé.
The AMAL delegation visited the restoration of two reservoirs, under the responsibility of the municipal company Inframoura: the “Waterproofing of the Vila Sol Water Reservoir” contract, which has been completed, and the “Rehabilitation of cell 2 of the R6 water reservoir” ”, which is ongoing.
«Both contracts are part of an application that amounts to 563 thousand euros and which also aims to intervene in 3,9 kilometers of network, with the objective of achieving water savings of 29 cubic meters (m394)», according to to AMAL.
Some interventions under the responsibility of the Municipality of Loulé were also visited: the “Improvement of the command center and remote management system for monitoring and active control of losses” and the “Monitoring and Active Control of Water Losses – Creation of Measurement Zones and Control (ZMC) and Controlled Pressure Zones (ZPC) in underground water abstractions and pumping stations”.
«These interventions total an investment of 205 thousand euros and the creation of 43 ZMC and 19 ZPC that allow better knowledge of the network, ensuring active monitoring and control of water losses and more appropriate pressure management», highlights the entity that brings together the 16 Chambers of the Algarve.
These visits are to monitor the implementation of the measure “SM1 – Reduce water losses in the urban sector”, which is managed by AMAL, under the Algarve Regional Water Efficiency Plan. A financing contract worth 43,9 million euros was signed, with the “Recover Portugal” Mission Structure, to rehabilitate failing supply systems, with the aim of reducing real water losses”.
«The measure integrates three aspects: Requalification of water supply networks; Installation of measurement and control zones and creation of controlled pressure zones. Applications are analyzed and approved by the Management Committee of the measure “SM1 – Reducing water losses in the urban sector”, which includes members of the Algarve Intermunicipal Community (AMAL), the Administration of the Algarve Hydrographic Region – Portuguese Environment Agency ( ARH-Algarve/ APA) and the University of Algarve», he adds.
So far «31 applications have been approved, and, after approval and with the works underway, this Commission carries out technical monitoring visits to the works in progress».
At the end of the measure's implementation, in 2026, «it is intended that 125 km of the failing water supply network will be rehabilitated and that there will be a reduction of 2 cubic hectometers in the demand for water in natural systems».
Within the scope of this project, AMAL has also been developing other initiatives, «such as training actions on reducing water losses in the urban sector, aimed at the 19 Management Entities of low water supply systems (municipalities and municipal companies)”.
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