Latest news and stories about public services in daily life in Setúbal, Portugal for expats and residents.
The Water and Waste Services Regulation Authority has urged SMAS Almada to proactively compensate residents impacted by recent water supply disruptions.
Water reserves in the Almada municipality have reached 40%, prompting the Municipal Water and Sanitation Services to evaluate potential reductions in ongoing supply cuts that have affected areas like Costa da Caparica.
The Almada municipality has announced further night-time water supply cuts affecting ten areas to restore reserves, prompting concerns from local business owners regarding potential compensation claims and warnings from regulators about temporary water quality changes.
A new water extraction borehole in Almada will begin operations this Sunday, aiming to boost the municipal supply system's capacity by approximately 20%.
Approximately 1,500 residents in Costa da Caparica, Almada, staged a protest march to demand immediate action regarding persistent water supply failures that have left households without water for days during extreme heat.
Almada City Council has implemented a temporary ban on non-essential water usage, including all public and private irrigation, to address chronic supply failures and replenish reserves within the next few weeks.
Water supply is gradually returning to six areas in Almada following a burst pipe repair, though the municipality continues to face systemic shortages due to record-high consumption levels.
On weekdays, the duration of interruptions will be reduced, generally taking place between 1:00 AM and 6:00 AM. At the same time, the gradual restoration of irrigation in some parks will begin.
The gradual recovery of reserves will allow for testing in order to reduce restrictions. Water cuts will no longer occur on weekends, and during the remaining days, cuts will take place from 1:00 am to 6:00 am.
In an initial phase, scheduled water supply cuts in the Almada municipality, in the Setúbal district, will no longer occur on weekends
Average water reserves in Almada have reached 78%, enabling authorities to begin a testing phase to gradually lift some extraordinary measures. Scheduled water supply cuts will no longer occur on weekends, and weekday interruptions will be reduced to the 01:00 to 06:00 window. The municipality is also beginning to restore irrigation in specific public parks after technical testing, while emphasizing that the situation remains under daily monitoring by the crisis cabinet.
In an initial phase, scheduled water supply cuts in the municipality will no longer occur on weekends.
The lack of water in Almada has awakened the country to the problem of poor management of this resource. Waste is significant and the management of supply networks is weak.
A health centre closed due to a lack of water, businesses unable to operate, restaurants at a standstill, residents on the verge of a nervous breakdown, and firefighters distributing water to the population. We are not in the interior, in extreme drought. We are in Costa da Caparica, twenty minutes from Lisbon, during one of the rainiest years of the last...
On July 8th, around 1,500 people gathered in a protest against the lack of water in Costa da Caparica, demanding solutions to the problem and calling for the resignation of the mayor.
The Municipalized Water and Sanitation Services (SMAS) of Almada have reinforced inspection actions to ensure “responsible water use” and have identified, in recent days, “several points with significant losses”, it was announced today.
The SMAS explained that the inspection operations carried out in recent days aim to “promote the responsible use of water, protect the public supply network, prevent losses, and detect irregular situations that could compromise the efficiency of the system.”
Water reserves in Almada have recovered to 46%, according to new data from the Municipal Water and Sanitation Services (SMAS). The entity has launched a dashboard to monitor reservoir levels across the municipality. As of July 18, 2026, the 46% average falls into the 'yellow' category (30%-60%), prompting the local authority to evaluate potential reductions in water supply cuts. The data covers 13 local reservoirs. The municipality continues to urge responsible consumption, while the Ombudsman has opened an inquiry into recent supply failures. SMAS also confirmed a new water borehole has been completed following exceptional technical efforts.
Since the beginning of the month, successive failures in water supply have been reported, with a particular impact on the Costa da Caparica, leading the municipal council to declare a state of alert.
Average water reserves in the Almada municipality stood at 40% today, a level that allows for an assessment and potential reduction in the number of hours of supply cuts, according to the Municipal Water and Sanitation Services (SMAS).
SMAS Almada indicate that the average reserve is calculated based on storage levels in the Alto do Índio, Sobreda, Raposo, Lazarim, Trafaria, Vale Cavala, and Pragal reservoirs.
SMAS Almada calculates the average reserve based on seven reservoirs. Two new boreholes are already reinforcing the network with an additional 120 m³ of water per hour.
Since the beginning of the month, successive failures in the water supply have been reported in the Almada municipality, with a particular impact on the Costa da Caparica.
A new garden can delight. A municipal app can make things easier. But all of this becomes irrelevant when a basic expectation fails. Before delighting, one must deliver.
Fifteen locations in the Almada municipality will be without water supply today as part of a scheduled cut plan to restore reserves, with daily interruptions expected in different areas of the municipality until at least next Friday.
Almada City Council and SMAS announce the scheduled cuts until 24 July. All planned interruptions will occur between 10 pm and 6 am the following day.
Laranjeiro, Feijó, Vale Flores, Barrocas, Cova da Piedade, Chegadinho, Pragal (up to Praceta Ricardo Jorge), Monte da Caparica, Raposo, Torre, Murfacém, Pêra, Alto do Índio, Quinta do Secretário and Vale Mourelos will experience disruptions
Restoration of the supply will be carried out gradually
Since the beginning of the month, successive failures in the water supply have been reported in Almada, with a particular impact on the Costa de Caparica, leading the municipal council to declare an alert situation.
The announcement was made by the City Council and the Municipal Water and Sanitation Services, who guarantee that the “restoration of supply will be carried out gradually”
