The Alqueva dam on the Guadiana River stored 79 cubic hectometers (hm3) in 24 hours, equivalent to annual urban consumption in the Algarve, a region experiencing water distribution constraints.
On Saturday, the reservoir had 3223 gm3 of water at a height of 148.05 meters, the next day it reached 3303 gm3 at a height of 148.45 meters.
The reservoir level rose again on Monday and stood at 148.60 meters at 08:00, representing an increase of 1.87 meters compared to what was recorded a week ago.
This rise means the intake of 358 hm3 of water. In comparative terms, this is higher than the annual consumption in the Algarve (270 hm3), which includes, in addition to public water, agricultural irrigation, golf course and industrial use.
Alqueva stores 3,332 hm3 of water, which is 80% of its maximum capacity. “The last two storms [‘Irene’ e ‘Juan’) que atravessaram o nosso território trouxeram precipitações importantes e trouxeram também escoamentos” para a albufeira, destacou José Pedro Salema, presidente da Empresa de Desenvolvimento e Infraestruturas do Alqueva.
Para os próximos dias a previsão é para um aumento do volume, nomeadamente por descargas das barragens do Lucefécit (Alandroal) e do Monte Novo (Évora).
Author: João Saramago
Source: CM Jornal
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