Golf courses throughout Algarve waiting (impatienty) for this option
Águas do Vale do Tejo (AdVT) has received the first license to produce water for reuse at the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) in Évora, the company said today.
The Portuguese Environment Agency has further granted Herdade Pimenta the license to use this water, the note added.
Herdade Pimenta is a family company, located in the Alentejo, between Évora and Redondo, which operates more than 300 hectares of vineyards and produces about six million bottles per year, exporting 70% to more than 30 countries around the world. It also produces olive oil.
“In 2017, AdVT started a pilot project, together with Herdade Pimenta S.A., with the aim of reusing water from the São Miguel de Machede WWTP to irrigate its vineyards and olive trees and address the water shortage in this drought-stricken region,” said AdVT’s statement.
The license to produce water for reuse for irrigation was issued on June 1, with favourable opinions from the Alentejo Regional Health Administration and the Alentejo Regional Directorate for Agriculture and Fisheries, writes Lusa.
This license covers flow treated at the WWTP and includes several conditions, such as a Monitoring Plan and a Risk Assessment.
“This pilot project (…) managed to bring together two distinct areas (viniculture and the use of treated wastewater) in a joint circular economy solution, which may be implemented, in the future, in other locations, namely in other parts of the Alentejo or AdVT’s area of operation,” according to the company.
AdVT is responsible for managing about 40% of the wastewater treatment plants of the Águas de Portugal Group.
Earlier this year, golf courses in the Algarve lamented the time it is taking for similar licences (and infrastructure) to be made available for their use, suggesting authorities are simply not acting fast enough to address the serious issues that southern regions have with water/ irrigation requirements.
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