Twenty years later, residents of Casais Lagartos, Cartaxo municipality, will be able to connect to the basic sanitation network. For residents who are far from the grid, free cleaning of septic tanks will continue.
The contract for the basic sanitation network in Casais Lagartos was awarded for around 139 thousand euros and residents will be able to connect to the system at the beginning of summer, putting an end to 20 years of promises made by successive municipal executives. For those far from the network, free cleaning of septic tanks will continue, informed the mayor of Cartaxo, João Heitor, at an executive meeting.
At the beginning of the year, as recommended by the Water and Waste Services Regulatory Entity (ERSAR), the sanitation fee began to be charged to everyone who has a water supply contract, “because it is assumed that the entire population has sanitation, is connected to the grid or has a septic tank”, explained João Heitor at the council meeting on April 18th. The mayor was speaking after an intervention by a resident of Casais Lagartos, Anabela Amorim, who says she pays 25 euros more on her bill every month and also complains about poor quality water. João Heitor stressed that the value of the sanitation fee is delivered to the concessionaire and not to the municipality. Remember that in the past residents paid 250 euros in the hope of connecting to the network.
Clandestine sewer connections
On December 20, 2023, a tanker truck that was maneuvering on the side of Estrada Municipal 600, in Casais Lagartos, caused land to collapse and exposed a rainwater trap with domestic sewage improperly connected. The situation was denounced by the president of the Parish Council of Pontével, Jorge Pisca, in a municipal assembly which O MIRANTE attended.
In March 2023, Jorge Pisca had reported that part of the domestic sewage in the town of Casais Lagartos was flowing onto public roads in an attack on public health. With the construction of the Valada Wastewater Treatment Station (WWTP), it was planned that sewage from Casais Lagartos, which has more than 800 inhabitants, would be sent there, but this never happened.
Around two decades ago, the basic sanitation network for Casais Lagartos was installed by Cartaxo City Council but was never connected. The intention was to build a WWTP for the population of Casais Lagartos, but time passed and then the municipality entered into a dispute with Cartagua, which prevented the connection of the Casais Lagartos sanitation system to the Valada WWTP, Jorge Pisca explained at the time to O LOOKOUT.
Tags: LOOKOUT Residents Casais Lagartos connect sanitation network year
