The Minister of the Environment stated today that, in Almada, “the necessary investments have not been made” in the water supply system, arguing that the municipality should resort to the funds available to reduce losses and modernize the infrastructures.
In statements to journalists on the sidelines of the inauguration of the new Water Reuse Plant (ApR) in Vilamoura, Maria da Graça Carvalho stressed that, in Almada, “municipal services are responsible for the water system” and considered that the lack of investment is “evident”.
The minister noted that there are funds available through the Sustainable 2030 operational programs, but stressed that it is necessary to submit applications to access the funding.
“There is funding in the various programs operating under Sustainable 2030, but you have to compete. You have to make proposals, negotiate and then launch the tenders. It is like this that you prepare the future,” she said.
As an example, she pointed to investments underway in other regions of the country, noting that in the Alentejo, on Tuesday, two treatment plants were inaugurated that were completed “in a year and a bit”.
According to the minister, the Alentejo currently has 568 million euros in investments in the water sector, including works in progress, completed or in the tendering phase.
“There is a very strong effort to plan, to invest, to seek funds and that is what everyone must do,” she said.
The minister added that both the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) and Águas de Portugal have already contacted the municipality of Almada to provide technical support.
“We are available and the Portuguese Environment Agency and Águas de Portugal have also contacted the municipality of Almada to help with this effort,” she stated.
The minister insisted that it is necessary to “plan”, “reduce losses”, which she described as “very high” in the municipality, and to invest in infrastructures to respond to future challenges.
She also argued that the revenue obtained from water billing in the municipality exceeds the costs of the service, considering there to be “a margin to invest,” even without resorting to EU funds.
Questioned about criticisms by the municipality that the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) did not foresee funds for this type of investment, the minister rejected that interpretation.
“It is in Sustainable 2030, we have more than 400 million euros; they have never applied,” she asserted.
Maria da Graça Carvalho travelled today to the Algarve to inaugurate the Water Reuse Plant (ApR) in Vilamoura and to lay the first stone of the construction of the desalination plant in Albufeira, a project that has been underway since last April, ending the visit with the inauguration of the Albufeira West Wastewater Treatment Plant.
