Data released by ERSAR puts Matosinhos in first place, alongside Vila de Conde. There were only 9.1 per cent losses in the supply networks.
With only 9.1 per cent of water losses along the supply networks, Matosinhos, along with Vila do Conde, took first place in the ranking of municipalities released by the Water and Waste Services Regulatory Authority (ERSAR).
The data is for 2023 and has now been made public by ERSAR, where Matosinhos has even achieved its lowest annual percentage of waste ever.
While this national average has remained unchanged for about a decade, Matosinhos has evolved in promoting efficiency. The report shows that, in 2023, waste stood at just 9.1 per cent, bringing a double achievement: not only is this the best result at national level, but it is also the lowest annual figure ever recorded in Matosinhos.
In the previous year (2022), the volume of losses in Matosinhos was 10.8 per cent, a figure that already left the municipality with the third best national result. Ten years earlier (2013), the volume of losses was considerably higher, at 22 per cent.
The report ‘Characterisation of the water and waste sector’ also shows a challenging scenario at national level. Portugal wastes 225 million m3 of water, representing 26.9 per cent of the total that enters the supply networks over the course of a year.
The reduction of these losses is promoted by INDAQUA Matosinhos, which is responsible for managing the municipality's entire network. To this end, it combats both so-called ‘real losses’ (leaks, faults or breaks) and ‘commercial losses’, caused by water diversions or metering errors.
‘It is with great satisfaction that we see INDAQUA Matosinhos consecutively improving its efficiency results. Responsible management of water resources, ensuring as little waste as possible, is becoming an increasingly important priority and we believe that the organisations responsible for supplying water must be exemplary in reducing the waste of this precious resource entrusted to them,’ said Tiago Fragata, General Manager of INDAQUA Matosinhos.
In 2023, the average losses of the INDAQUA Group's eight municipal concessions (Santo Tirso/Trofa, Santa Maria da Feira, Matosinhos, Vila do Conde, Oliveira de Azeméis, Barcelos, Paços de Ferreira and Marco de Canaveses) stood at 11 per cent, 1.5 percentage points less than the previous year.