The water presently stored in the reservoirs of the Algarve is sufficient for all, today guaranteed the Administrator-delegate of the Águas do Algarve, in a press conference, as reported by the Lusa Agency.

The water is "more than sufficient" to supply the region, assured Artur Ribeiro. 80 million cubic metres of waters are held, resulting from the rains in the last quarter of 2005.

According to the delegate, the eastern Algarve (Sotavento) has contained more water than the Western area (Barlavento): 65 million cubic metres in the reservoirs of Odeleite and Beliche (Sotavento) and 15 million in Funcho, Arade and Bravura (Barlavento).

The details were revealed to balance the regional campaign for rational water consumption, which was launched in April by Águas do Algarve and which ended in September.

In the last quarter of 2005, in the Algarve, there was a reduction in consumption of around 30%, compared to the same period in 2004. However, the administrator realises that the reduction has more to do with the rainfall verified in these months than in actual savings on the part of consumers.

Around 10% was the reduction in consumption effectively noted. Nevertheless, Artur Ribeiro underlines that if people maintained water-saving habits in the order of the 10%, "then it is already frankly positive".