Over €1.3 million is being invested in works to reduce the risk of flooding in downtown Albufeira and near Inatel beach.
Mayor José Carlos Rolo says the construction of a lifting station at Praça dos Pescadores, the main beachside square, is completed. All that is missing, he says, are the connecting pipes.
This second stage of the works will be carried out in two phases as surrounding streets will have to be closed, he told national tabloid Correio da Manhã. The first phase will be carried out before the summer with the second due to begin after the end of the bathing season.
The new pumping system will help avoid the “accumulation of water in the vulnerable downtown area”, especially during intense rainfall.
The station, along with the connecting pipes, represents a €1 million investment.
Meantime, works have already begun to reduce the risks of floods near Inatel beach.
“Whenever there are adverse weather conditions, such as heavy rain, there are flooding issues in some areas of the town, namely near the roundabout where Avenida Infante D. Henrique meets Rua do Mar and Rua Almirante Gago Coutinho,” the council says in a statement to the press.
The works, costing around €300,000, involve increasing the water volume capacity of the pipes that run along the avenue and lead to Inatel beach, and removing any obstructions.
As Rolo explains, the area is popular with residents and holidaymakers all year round but is affected by floods every time it rains heavily.
The council hopes to complete the works before the start of the bathing season.
