Beneficiaries

Águas do Algarve (AdA) is an Affiliate of Águas de Portugal and is responsible for supplying drinking water to 16 municipalities, to approximately 415,000 inhabitants in low season and up to 1,100,000 in high season in the Algarve region (southern Portugal) through the Algarve’s Multi-municipal Water Supply System (SMAAA). AdA runs four Water Treatment Plants (WTP) (max. capacity of 6.5 m3/s), and a bulk supply system of more than 450 km of mains, pumping systems and reservoirs. It is also responsible for the operation and management of the Algarve Multi-municipal Sanitation System. AdA has a Laboratory that controls and guarantees the water quality supplied to the municipalities.  AdA improved its internal culture in Risk Management through the implementation, in 2007, of the Water Safety Plan (also certified in ISO 22000) and obtained a Product Certification for the drinking water supplied.

EPAL is the oldest and largest water supply company in Portugal, operating for more than 145 years. EPAL iIs now responsible for the management of Águas de Lisboa e Vale do Tejo (AdLVT). So, EPAL exploits now a system that includes 469 WWTP, 521 pumping stations and 1.829 km of main sewage system, serving a population of 3.278.500 inhabitants of 85 municipalities.

Each day EPAL supplies over 550 million liters of drinking water to customer’s taps, along more than 2.100 kilometers of water mains, 41 pumping stations, 28 water tanks, 14 service reservoirs and about 83.000 service connections. EPAL is a reference company within the water sector in Portugal, with a vast know-how, substantial experience and modern technology which it uses to maintain an exceptional level of services to customers.

Besides the normal daily activity, EPAL develops R&D activities, in partnership with other institutions, companies and Universities, in a wide range of subjects including novel treatment processes and implementation of management and simulation tools for optimizing WW treatment and collection. R&D activities include participation in several National as well as in European projects.

EPAL developed WONE (Water Optimization for Network Efficiency), which achieving levels of Non-Revenue Water (NRW) of less than 9% in 2012, leading other national companies towards projects to start implementing identical solutions, adapted for their own varying situations.

The Meter Laboratory is accredited under NP EN ISO 45001, having made the transition to NP EN ISO/IEC 17025. Since 1994, this is also a Metrological Verification Body, and has the status of a Qualified Repairer since 1990 and Qualified Installer of cold drinking water meters since 2001.

The Central Laboratory is accredited since 1999 under standard NP EN ISO/IEC 17 025, for 171 parameters / species. The new laboratory, recently inaugurated in December 2010, is a modern infrastructure, optimized and efficient in energy terms.

HIDROMOD (an SME) is working for 22 years almost exclusively in modelling and data mining having nowadays an accumulated experience gathered with the participation in more than 400 projects for clients all around the world in Europe, Africa, Asia and South America. In the framework of these projects HIDROMOD carried out studies on wave propagation, sediment transport by combined wave and current action, effluents dispersion, oil slicks transportation, floodplains delimitation, output evaluation of nutrients in watersheds, water quality in reservoirs, and urban hydraulics.

The core business of HIDROMOD is shaped by the realization that the use of models and information technologies, complemented with the implementation of monitoring systems, is presently recognized as the most efficient tool for decision support, representing an important added value both for designers and decision-makers. A relevant characteristic of HIDROMOD is the preferential use of internally developed tools in partnership with research groups or other institutions of recognized quality. In order to maintain high standards in the tools and approaches that uses, HIDROMOD maintains an almost continuous participation in multiple international R&D projects of which the following are but representative examples: INSEA, EcoManage, AQUASTRESS, INSEA, SCHEMA in EU FP6 and LENVIS, MYWATER, and FIGARO in EU FP7.

Among the systems developed in doors or in close cooperation with other institutions it may be referred AQUASAFE. AQUASAFE is a software platform that aims to increase efficiency in operations management, providing real time information and its integration with forecast and diagnostics tools.

IST is a distinguished School of Engineering, Science & Technology and Architecture, the largest of its kind in Portugal, which holds a unique position in the context of the Portuguese higher education system. IST mission is to contribute for the development of the society by promoting higher education and carrying out R&D activities responding to society needs. IST has a strong impact on the development of key scientific and technological areas in Portugal and, with its graduates, provides the Portuguese society with a group of highly visible and qualified citizens.

IST has a large expertise in energy efficiency management in water supply systems having developed a comprehensive and novel methodology for the calculation of energy audits of water supply systems. This methodology, composed of a set of steps, has been operationalized in a simple but easy-to-use software application that allows the calculation of energy audits of water supply systems and the respective energy efficiency performance indicators based on the physical and operational characteristics of the systems. IST has the knowledge and the experience of having developed the referred tool but also of having already applied this auditing scheme to several Portuguese water supply systems in the scope of the project iPerdas, an on-going (2014) Portuguese collaborative project involving LNEC, through which 16 water utilities develop their own water-energy losses programme.

IST participation will be headed by Professor Dídia Covas, Associate Professor, expert on fluid mechanics, leakage control, energy efficiency and infrastructure asset management, with over than 250 publications and having participated in 7 EU projects.

The inclusion of IST will create a synergy between AdP and ISQ that will be of the utmost importance for the successful development of this project and for better accomplishing expected results.

Águas do Tejo Atlântico, SA is a public limited company, created by Decree-Law 34/2017, of March 24, responsible for the management and operation of the multi-municipal wastewater sanitation system of Greater Lisbon and Oeste, in exclusive regime and for a term of 30 years.

The company aims to collect, treat and dispose of domestic and urban effluents on a regular, continuous and efficient basis, coming from around 2.4 million inhabitants, covering the municipalities of Alcobaça, Alenquer, Amadora, Arruda dos Wines, Azambuja, Bombarral, Cadaval, Caldas da Rainha, Cascais, Lisbon, Loures, Lourinhã, Mafra, Nazaré, Óbidos, Odivelas, Oeiras, Peniche, Rio Maior, Sintra, Sobral de Monte Agraço, Torres Vedras and Vila Franca de Xira.

AdP – Águas de Portugal, SGPS, S.A. is a pure holding company that, through its subsidiaries, has as its mission the design, construction, operation and management of water supply systems, wastewater sanitation and solid domestic and industrial waste treatment and recovery systems within a framework of economic, financial, technical, social and environmental sustainability. Its mission is also to develop a strong and highly efficient Portuguese business group, capable of responding effectively to the important challenges faced in the environmental sector.

In water supply and wastewater sanitation, the AdP Group operations comprise the urban water cycle, integrating the water collection, treatment, storage and supply and urban and industrial wastewater collection, treatment and disposal, including its recycling and reuse.

Through established companies in partnership with the municipalities, the AdP Group is responsible for the management of multi-municipal systems with the priority to complete the infrastructures needed to meet the required levels of public attendance and service quality to comply with the European average and best practices standards.

The positive impact of the Group´s activity on environmental quality, public health, customer service levels and global sustainability of the sector stems from highly demanding business culture and its recognized by the sector main regulatory authorities, particularly with regard to the considerable improvement in the quality of water consumption. AdP Group develops R&D activities, in partnership with other institutions, companies and Universities, in a wide range of subjects including novel processes and methods for optimizing water networks systems management. The experience of AdP Group in R&D and innovation activities include participation in several National as well as in European projects, and international awards recognition.