Portugal Tap Water
Can you drink tap water in Portugal?
Tap water in Portugal can be drunk without any health problems
Ensuring a safe drinking water supply is of great importance for every visitor to Portugal in order to avoid potential health risks during the holidays. As a member state of the European Union, Portugal not only adheres to national regulations on drinking water quality, but also meets strict EU standards to ensure the safety of drinking water.
Water quality in Portugal has been rated excellent by the national regulator thanks to comprehensive controls and high standards . Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, good control of water quality continued to be maintained .
Basic knowledge: the evolution of the water and sanitation system in Portugal
Beginnings of water supply and sanitation systems in Portugal
The foundations of public water supply and sanitation systems in Portugal were laid at the end of the 19th century. Between 1899 and 1901, a legal basis was created to define the objectives of the reform of health administration.
Increasing the water supply of the Portuguese population
Improvements were continually made over the following decades. In 1944 the municipal water supply plan was introduced and in 1960 a rural water supply plan was introduced.
In 1941, only 26% of the Portuguese population had access to water distribution systems. At that time, there were no national statistics on wastewater supply. By 1972, access to water supply had increased to 40% and to sewerage networks to 17%. Between 1975 and 1990, the population coverage rate for water and sanitation services increased rapidly, from 40% and 17% to 80% and 62%, respectively.
Major reform of the sector due to Portugal's accession to the EU
European integration and the resulting EU funding led to the first major reform of the water and sanitation system. This marked the beginning of national governance in this area as we know it today.
Introduction of regional systems and regulatory authorities
The experiences of regional systems led to the creation of regional companies in the 1990s. These municipal systems are largely public companies that operate in partnership with municipalities. In addition, the figure of a regulatory authority, the current ERSAR , was introduced.
Source: ERSAR - Entidade Reguladora dos Serviços de Águas e Resíduos
