Regarding the year 2023, Porto has seen an improvement when compared to the 13.4 percent rate in 2022, owing to the ongoing efforts to combat water waste in the public network. The municipal company ‘Águas e Energia’ has revealed that this positive result places the municipality of Porto "among the best national entities that waste the least amount of drinking water" in what the company defines as a “new historic minimum”.
"The 13.28 percent index achieved by Porto corresponds to less than half of the national average value, which is around 27.1 percent, according to the Water and Waste Services Regulatory Entity (ERSAR)", Filipe Araújo, the vice-president of Porto's chamber and president of the municipal company explains. Both the "active role" of the customer and the lowering trend of losses in the network have been ensured by the Unbilled Water Management and Reduction Program, according to the statement from the municipal corporation.
"These indicators place Porto in the restricted group of municipalities whose quality of service is considered excellent. Despite this, we will continue to work with the very clear objective of increasingly managing this essential resource that is water, as more and more we will be subject to extreme phenomena, such as drought", Filipe Araújo has reinforced.
Water level management and reduction depend heavily on the prompt detection of irregularities and the application of preventive measures. Therefore, Porto’s chamber vice president has shared that "Monthly communication of the water meter reading allows the customer to have more rigorous control of their consumption, mitigating changes in billing. At the same time, the reporting of anomalies found on public roads guarantees the water efficiency of the supply network and sustainability of the system".