Portuguese water utility invests €7 million to repair Seia water supply system

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Águas de Portugal is investing over €7 million in rehabilitation works on the Senhora do Desterro water supply system in Seia, which supplies the municipalities of Seia, Oliveira do Hospital, Gouveia, and Celorico da Beira.

The Seia City Council (Câmara de Seia) stated that the works, promoted by Grupo Águas de Portugal, focus on modernizing key infrastructure for water abstraction, treatment, and storage, aiming to enhance the capacity, efficiency, and safety of the entire system.

The Senhora do Desterro system is regarded by the local government as strategic infrastructure, supplying water upstream to four municipalities: Seia, Gouveia, and Celorico da Beira in the Guarda district, as well as Oliveira do Hospital in the Coimbra district.

One of the main components of the rehabilitation works is the construction of a new reservoir at the Senhora do Desterro water treatment plant (ETA), with an investment of approximately €4.9 million. Once the new facility is completed, the system's total storage capacity will increase to 6,000 cubic meters, thereby strengthening the responsiveness and resilience of supply to meet the water demand of the four served municipalities.

Another component involves the installation of a new raw water pipeline to the treatment plant, with an investment of approximately €1.9 million, aimed at relocating the existing abstraction point and improving system operating conditions.

The rehabilitation works also include reservoir dredging. The Seia City Council is coordinating related matters with EDP (Energias de Portugal) and Águas do Vale do Tejo. The local government stated that the works in the reservoir are essential to ensure the proper medium- and long-term operation of the abstraction infrastructure and to guarantee the sustainability of the water supply system in the service area.

The Seia City Council, led by Luciano Ribeiro, stated that these works represent an investment of structural significance for the region, increasing storage capacity and enhancing the reliability, efficiency, and quality of water supply. The statement also noted that the use of more suitable materials and more modern technical solutions will contribute to a more robust system, capable of addressing future challenges related to water demand and sustainable water resource management.