Teresa Fernandes from Águas do Algarve told Lusa that the water in the Algarve dams which is intended for human consumption “is much lower than normal and not ideal for this time of year”, although the rainfall registered in recent weeks “has contributed to reinforce” the reserves.

“Precipitation was not very significant and the levels are far from ideal for the period we are in, in the middle of the hydrological year, but we had an increase, although not very significant, in two of the dams, which is important to ensure the public supply for consumption for a period of a year and a half”, she said.

Teresa Fernandes stated that the water stored in the three dams that supply public consumption in the Algarve “is enough to maintain the average consumption of 72 million cubic metres per year in the region, for a year and a half, with complete safety”.

According to the spokeswoman for the company that manages the multi-municipal water supply system in the region, the estimate takes into account the average annual consumption, “hence the importance of people making efficient and responsible consumption of water, so that it can last longer,” she warned.

That official added that “there is still an expectation that the months of February and March will bring some rainfall to the Algarve and that this will increase the water reserves in the dams".

According to Teresa Fernandes, contrary to the improvement seen in the two dams located in the eastern (eastern) Algarve, the one in the western (west) registered a “not very significant” decrease compared to the same period last year.

The official indicated that the Odelouca dam, the largest in the Algarve, with a useful storage capacity of 128.2 cubic hectometeres, presents “a useful volume of 40 percent, four percentage points less” when compared to the same time in 2021, when it was 44 percent.