Faro Chamber advances with measures to reduce water consumption

Faro City Council suspended the use of public water for watering public green spaces and closed ornamental fountains, foot baths and showers in bathing areas to combat the drought in the Algarve, the municipality announced.

The measures, which aim to “greater savings and rationalization of water reserves”, are part of the resolution approved by the Council of Ministers in February “to help maintain water sustainability in the short and medium term” in the region, highlighted the municipality in communicated.

Among the set of initiatives implemented is the suspension of the use of public or drinking water for watering green spaces and public gardens, the closure of ornamental fountains and showers and foot baths in bathing areas, as well as the reduction of renewal of water in public swimming pools.

The suspension of the use of public or drinking water for watering green spaces and public gardens has the exception of Jardim da Alameda João de Deus and the grass field of the athletics track, which are irrigated using borehole water.

At the same time, the frequency of washing streets, pavements, vehicles and municipal equipment will be reduced, “using for this purpose and whenever available, water from alternative sources”, the note reads.

On the other hand, the municipality says, to ensure the survival of trees of monumental or unique character, a maximum of two monthly irrigations will be maintained in a drip system, he added.

According to the municipality, these measures, which involve the shutdown of sprinkler irrigation, guaranteeing only the watering of those trees, allow total consumption to be reduced by 99.9% when irrigating public green spaces in the municipality.

The municipality predicts that consumption will increase from the current 319,343 cubic meters of water per year, to an estimated consumption of 174 cubic meters per year.

“This reduction will make it possible to maintain drip irrigation with shrubs and herbaceous coverings, particularly in the most significant green spaces, also enabling the planting of new trees on lawns to be deactivated, readjusting irrigation to drip irrigation”, he points out.

To combat water scarcity in the Algarve, Faro City Council also announced that it is implementing water flow reducers in taps in municipal buildings.

The Algarve has been on alert due to drought since February 5th, and the Government has approved a set of measures to restrict consumption, namely a 15% reduction in the urban sector, including tourism, and a 25% reduction in agriculture.

In addition to these measures, there are others such as combating losses in supply networks, the use of treated water to irrigate green spaces, streets and golf courses or the suspension of the granting of titles for the use of water resources.

The Government has already admitted to increasing the level of restrictions, declaring a state of environmental emergency or calamity, if the measures now implemented are insufficient to address water scarcity in the region.

Lusa