Has anybody got any news on what will happen when the water runs out in the summer. I would have thought that this subject would have been raised on the forum before now. It is going to be dire in july and august with hundreds and probably thousands without water for basic sanitary needs in the Poirtimao/Lagoa area.
Already I am putting renters off from my house on QDP.The last time it was bad was in the early nineties and then people wre getting water from the pools r
for their basic needs. It is criminal that the money-hungry golf centres are sucking so much water from the ground to keep the grass nice and green. It may sway them when the smells of raw sewage permeate the algarvian evenings. Sorry to be so doom laden but this is going to damage tourism for years to come. When you think Potugal is surrounded on 3 sides by the sea, that the government hasn't invested in desalination plants- funny it can find plenty of euros to build football stadiums-pretty useful when the land is dying of thirst.

and can anybody shed any light on the Governments lack of commitment to provide basic fire fighting equipment ..for forest fires this year.......The Algarve will again be inundated with forest fires this year.........tens of thousands of acres of trees will go up in flames.....and we dont even have one fire Bombing aircraft...incredible.and NOTHING TO DO WITH their claim of no money......I do get angry year after year with cries of cant do no money........the truth is that Portugal will continue once again down the never ending slippery slope until .(.earning nowdays maybe 30% of what Northerm Europeans earn........).....it rids itself of the beaurocracy and corruption that stifles it.................it badly needs a Maggi Thatcher and until that day...we will have no desaltation plants.......and the ave wage will continue to decend........AND...back to my point......Fires will continue ..big time...............BUT...not many Brits really care about this...they want their Golf and fun in the Sun.........and the Portuguese continue to .not care one Iota...........Am I Paranoid...you bet I am...............

Signed......

One who really does care........

This is very depressing news and not a very good advert for those contemplating a summer holiday in the Algarve.
But you are dealing with a tin pot country with corrupt governing bodies and until the people themselves come out of their apathy and do something about the situation it will always remain so!

Tony you sound very worried about the water situation and reading your post..have good reason to be!
I never realised that things got that bad. Is there any water rationing at the moment? I only know from experience of our time there..during the fierce summer heat..that the water would be turned off without any notice..so we always kept good supplies of large bottles handy!
Is there no sign of decent rainfall on the horizon?
Sincerely hope & pray there is no repeat of 2003s fire devastation!

Please do not tar all brits with the same Brush, re golf courses.

I could not give a toss about them. Just the environment and that people have water for everday needs.

Tony, you are right to be concerned.

As a couple who have already taken the first steps in planning our move to the algarve we are obviously concerned at the continuing reports of drought etc.

Whilst we cannot do anything about the weather we can do our small part in water conservation.

We do not plan to an " english lawn " that requires 1000, litres per annum to survive nor try to re create Northern European gardens such as we see all too often when we visit.

If all those with these unnecessary extravagances switched of their irragation for even 50% of the time perhaps it would have a positive effect on those whose country we live or plan in .

As those of us who can remember 1976 was it realhardship not to be able to water the lawn/garden, wash the car etc.

Which would you rather have a tourist industry ( incl golf ) ,viable local
agriculture or a poor but very thirsty version of a N london, German, Dutch garden.

Time for few sacrifices ?

When in Rome!

Maybe a silly question and I am maybe ill informed.....but if you are all so concerned about water shortages why dont you put your money where your mouth is and put in a Bore hole...I have heard there might be some restrictions..and in some areas it might be salty..so have a salt pool ..and if you are not so rural ..say north of the 125..you can safely put in a Bore hole ---my friends have just done it......yes I think it costs about 5 Grand...but 99% of you can afford that otherwise you wouldnt be living down there , playing Golf.......etc etc.......and do the Golf courses have Bore Holes..it is all a big question to me...

kentish and Wet man....

….I think its got something to do with the fact that the underground water supply dries up long before the water company reservoirs dry up

Really..???........I thought those things go down hundreds of feet and are fed by underwater springs that gush ..for ever ??........but I guess I'm wrong otherwise the government (If they had any money left after siphoning it all away )....would drill lots of them-----????

Some peoples bore holes are dry already.
Pleased to say sky is cloudy this morning lets hope it turns into rain, and April turns out in Portuguese tradition to be the month of a thousand rains.

You can point fingers in every direction on this one. A farmer from Messines told me that the aqueduct that supplies the fields from Silves to Messines is in such bad state, that half the water has leaked out before any fields are irrigated.

There are a few things you can look out for when you are staying in a villa down here:

Sadly, portuguese gardners have little sense of the problems and will leave a sprinkler sitting in the same spot for several hours before returning to move it or turn off the water. If you rent a villa and notice this, report it to the management or better even, turn off the tap first.

Report water mains damage or other leaks to your management.

If it can be accomodated, try to reduce shower lengths or maybe combine two people using a toilet for number ones.

Don't let children play around the lawn with a hose or sprinkler.

This is not the first time Portugal has such a dry year and it won't be the last. Untill now the rain has always returned, burnt areas have been re-planted and the Algarve has kept its reputation for having 300+ days of sushine per year (on average).

Bore holes may seem like a handy solution but are in fact adding to the problem. The water table most of these bore holes get their water from in fact runs under the sea to Africa. It takes on Genius to work out the consequences of every Tom, Dick... drilling a new bore hole on both sides! Water table naturally drops, gets more salty and in generally there shall be less water/moisture in the ground.
In my opinion if all these villas decided to have a garden which at least in part resembles an Algarvian landscape you may find not only a prettier , truer algarvian landscape but also that the native plants do not require copious amounts of water on a daily basis!
Also, with the situation as it is anyone who still uses a leaking pool, without bothering to fix, it should be fined heavily.
Unfortunately Golf courses bring a lot of money to the region, increasing house prices etc.. so there is little point in bad mouthing the courses- though i wish it were not the case!
A little sense by all would go a long way.

guest 2 wrote: In my opinion if all these villas decided to have a garden which at least in part resembles an Algarvian landscape you may find not only a prettier , truer algarvian landscape but also that the native plants do not require copious amounts of water on a daily basis!
.

I couldn´t agree more. Just look out now and see how many Algarvian plants are green and alive despite the lack of water! For God sake make your gardens with those varieties...some of them are beatiful. Stop trying to replicate magazins gardens...

What a very sensible post!
and as a previous guest suggested 'when in Rome'!
Altho a lawn is lovely to look at its damned hard work at best of times to keep it pristine condition..
Patio gardens/gravel gardens are much wiser option in a hot dry Med .climate..
tho artificial turf is popular too..and always improving!
and you can make very pretty gardens with rockery & sunloving plants/bulbs?
If you do have lawns...and you're in severe drought..hot conditions do not cut low..keep your cutter high...grass thats a bit longer will preserve moisture..(Ive seen plenty of gardens here in Uk 'murdered' by continous low mowing in hot dry weather..ending up dry brown dead !)
However its surprising how quick even these will spring to life with long steady rainful
But If I were living there now.I would opt for the gravel /patio type garden definitely!
Hope you get the longed for rain soon