Water crisis hits thousands in Portugal as heatwave strains supply systems

Thousands of residents and tourists in the Almada municipality, south of Lisbon, are facing severe water shortages as extreme summer heat drives consumption to unprecedented levels, forcing authorities to impose nightly supply cuts across dozens of neighborhoods.

Eleven areas of Almada will have their water supply cut entirely between 10:00 p.m. and 06:00 a.m. local time (2100-0500 GMT) on Sunday, as part of a rationing strategy by the municipal council aimed at replenishing water reserves.

Similar overnight cuts have been in force across rotating neighborhoods since earlier in the week, with the coastal resort area of Costa da Caparica among the worst affected.

The problem has severely impacted commerce and tourism in the region, which is one of Portugal's main tourist hubs.

The Almada municipal water and sanitation services activated a contingency plan on Monday and established a crisis cabinet. By Wednesday, the situation had deteriorated when a state of alert was declared for the municipality.

Alongside the overnight supply cuts, authorities have banned all non-essential uses of public water, including garden and golf course irrigation, car washing, pool filling, use of beach showers and foot baths, ornamental fountains and exterior surface washing.

Several municipal sports facilities have also been partially closed, and two local events scheduled for this weekend were postponed.

The municipality attributed the crisis to an exceptionally large increase in water consumption placing unprecedented pressure on the supply system, though local traders and residents disputed explanations citing tourist demand as the primary cause, describing the situation as a catastrophe driving people away from the area.

Proposed medium-term solutions include the drilling of additional water extraction boreholes, though residents have criticized the local authority for reacting too slowly to a foreseeable problem.