Latest news and stories about water supply in Setúbal, Portugal for expats and residents.
The consumer protection association DECO criticizes the water tariff in Almada, citing a double penalty for residents amidst a crisis that ERSAR identifies as a significant management failure.
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.
Twenty-one locations in Almada, including Charneca da Caparica and Aroeira, will face a total water supply interruption from Monday night until Tuesday morning to facilitate infrastructure improvements supported by a new borehole connection from Seixal.
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%.
The Socialist Party in Setúbal has called on the National Association of Portuguese Municipalities to address the critical water supply instability in Almada, highlighting concerns over infrastructure neglect and service failures.
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.
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.
The problems with water supply cuts in Almada are impacting the hotel industry.
The possibility of the new Lisbon airport proceeding near the largest aquifer in the Iberian Peninsula is alarming environmentalists, who are calling for rigorous studies. Quercus warns of risks to the water supply in the Setúbal region and requests strict scrutiny of the project's environmental impacts.
Portugal maintains high levels of water quality and access to supply, but a lack of investment in infrastructure renewal is creating growing risks to service reliability, with over 26% of the precious potable water resource still being lost in the network. In an interview with Expresso, the president of the Water and Waste Services Regulation Authority (ERSAR) says the supply crisis in Almada should serve as a warning to municipalities and advocates for greater cooperation between local authorities, strengthening network efficiency, and an urgent commitment to modernising the sector's systems.
“It is no surprise that the motion of no confidence was rejected,” stated a PSD deputy. Inês de Medeiros acknowledged a “lack of sense of urgency” regarding water cuts but refuses to resign.
While Jesus proves that 12 is the new half of 26, Almada will only have full water supply next year. The Livre party grew by mistake and jurists are already fleeing from veterinarians. Everything is squeaky clean.
In the early hours of the morning, the Almada Municipal Assembly rejected a motion of no confidence presented by the PSD against the municipality's Socialist leadership, following water supply failures in the district.
The Almada Municipal Assembly will review a motion of no confidence this Tuesday (July 21) against the socialist leadership of the city council, presented by the PSD, which holds the municipality responsible for water supply failures in the municipality. The motion, the sole item on the agenda for the extraordinary meeting, follows repeated water supply disruptions affecting thousands of families and sectors such as hospitality. PSD councillor Paulo Sabino stated that a lack of planning and investment caused the issue. Although the motion is non-binding and will not force the executive to step down, the PSD hopes it will serve as a wake-up call. The municipality has declared an alert status, implementing night-time water cuts and restricting non-essential water use, while the municipal water services (SMAS) are working to repair leaks and identify illegal connections.
The motion follows failures in the water supply. PSD/Almada states that there was no adequate planning. SMAS announced inspections to ensure responsible usage.
Spain defeated Argentina in the final that served as Messi's Last Dance. There is an old plan that could be revived to transport water from Castelo de Bode to Almada via a bridge. And the USA attacks Iran again.
The Municipal Water and Sanitation Services (SMAS) in Almada have detected multiple locations experiencing major water leakage.
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.
The new president of Águas de Portugal warns that the case in Almada is not unique. There are other municipalities where a lack of investment in the network could jeopardise public supply.
The situation in Almada is not unique, as similar occurrences are being reported elsewhere.
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 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.
