ERSARA seminar contributes to improving the water resources and waste management, says Alonso Miguel

April 21, 2022

The Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Change presided yesterday at the opening session of the 6th Technical Seminar – 12 years of Regulation in the Azores, promoted by the Entity for the Regulation of Water and Waste Services of the Azores (ERSARA) in Horta.

Alonso Miguel highlighted the importance of holding this Technical Seminar, considering that "it is an important forum for debate on the sectors regulated by ERSARA, contributing to the training and qualification of human resources and to the improvement of services in the scope of water resources and waste management, which represent demanding challenges for the region".

The Regional Secretary considered that "the planning of water resources is a task of great responsibility, which should be fulfilled through strategic and operational measures that allow for a better management of the quality and quantity of this resource".

In this context, the governor said that "work on the proposal to amend the Regional Water Programme and the 3rd cycle of the Azores Hydrographic Region Management Plan, which aim to comply with the Water Framework Directive, has been concluded and will now be submitted to the Regional Legislative Assembly for consideration, after approval by the Government Council.

Alonso Miguel announced the creation and entry into force of a new Treatment of Water for Human Consumption Support Programme. This programme "aims to support managing entities in investments to improve the processes of disinfection and treatment of water, which will allow a co-participation of the costs borne by water supply providers".

He also revealed that the Evaluation of the Water Balance and Control of Water Losses Support Programme was also recently launched, "which aims to contribute towards improving the performance of managing entities in terms of service quality indicators, namely regarding the quantification of water entering the system, water supplied for distribution and water losses, through the attribution of support for the acquisition of adequate equipment for these purposes".

The Regional Secretary also delivered this Tuesday the "Seals of Quality of Water for Human Consumption", an award promoted by ERSARA that aims to reward the merit of the managing entities that distinguish themselves for the quality of their public water supply systems and reinforce consumer confidence in the quality of tap water.

© Government of the Azores | Photo: SRAAC