Water is to be transported to the southern bank via the 25 de Abril Bridge in Lisbon and through other future crossings of the Tagus, drawn from the Castelo de Bode dam, the Minister of Environment and Energy said today.
Speaking at the Assembly of the Republic during the specialized debate on the state budget for 2027 (OE2027), the minister described it as “a major project” for water resilience, supplying the Setúbal Peninsula and the southern bank of the Tagus.
The Government had requested proposals for solutions to the water shortage on the southern bank, notably in Almada, and on Monday received those proposals from the companies Epal and Águas de Portugal.
Today, before the deputies, the minister said that the plan has three components, with funding and timelines; one of them greater water reuse, another the use of groundwater and surface waters, and another the use of water from Castelo de Bode’s reservoir.
“They will use a connection to supply water from Castelo de Bode, employing two scenarios of existing infrastructures — such as the 25 de Abril Bridge and also future crossings of the Tagus — to channel water from the north bank to the south bank of the Tagus,” she explained.
In addition to affecting more than a million people, the minister recalled the new airport, which needs water, and the expected population growth.
In response to questions from deputies, Maria da Graça Carvalho noted more than once that there are zones in the north of the country that are already facing water shortages, and that the Government is studying alternatives.
Regarding waste, the minister again guaranteed that no new landfills would be built, but rather the expansion of capacity at some sites to buy time for other alternatives to be developed.
