The majority of locations in the parish of Alvoco da Serra, where the water system is managed by the local council, were accustomed to water shortages at the peak of summer due to increased population and reduced flow from springs. However, the situation has worsened following a fire, according to the president of the Parish Council, Belarmino Marques.
The problem is particularly acute in Vasco Esteves de Baixo, though other villages are also affected, as piping was damaged in the large fire that began on the 13th in Arganil and impacted Seia, particularly in this area, Marques stated.
“The water systems are old, with some pipes exposed, and the situation has deteriorated,” he said.
According to Marques, the parish saw four villages without water, with the fire affecting several small spring catchments that supply the various locations.
“We are trying to resolve and repair the network,” he mentioned, noting the support from the Seia Town Hall, as the parish is set to join an inter-municipal water supply company.
Currently, with empty reservoirs and people needing to wash and clean around their homes after the fire, “the situation is more difficult,” but it may be normalized soon.
Citizens report only having had water for three days in August
Carla Santos, president of the assembly table of the Vasco Esteves de Baixo Friends League, described “a terrible month” and very unstable water supply.
A resident and native of the area, she stated that in some points, water doesn’t flow, forcing residents, especially the elderly, to fetch buckets of water from public fountains.
“My mother-in-law only had water from the tap for three days this month,” noted the 39-year-old resident.
Clara Santos also commented that water shortages are common in summer but not to the severity experienced this year.
The fire “worsened the problem,” she observed.
In this locality, the fire did not come close to homes, so there wasn’t a water shortage to combat the flames.
“We have to thank the firefighters who were tireless and didn’t let the fire approach homes. But if it had, we were constantly worried,” she stated, calling it “inadmissible” for the locality to always lack water in the summer due to an “obsolete” system with multiple ruptures.
