One third of a coffee a day is what a person pays for their daily water consumption, says the president of the Portuguese companies’ association for the environment sector.
The question of water price In Portugal it has been a theme for a long time, in particular due to large municipalities.
A clear example is the case of Santa Maria da Feira, where the cubic metro tariff reaches the 2.77 euros, one of the highest in the country.
According to Deco Proteste, in 2024 Santa Maria da Feira occupied the 12th place in the highest households for an annual consumption of 120 cubic meters and the 3rd in the 180 cubic meters. Comparatively, neighboring municipalities may have drastically different costs: Fundão and Oleiros illustrate an extreme contrast, with annual consumption of 180 cubic meters to cost 776.74 euros in the first and only 316.26 € in the second, according to data cited by.
But experts ensure that, globally, water in Portugal is relatively cheap. Eduardo Marques, president of the Portuguese Companies Association for the Environment sector, exemplifies.
A person pays, on average, 30 cents per day for water consumption, equivalent to A third of a coffee. For Alfeu Sá Marques, jubilated professor at the University of Coimbra, the idea that water is expensive results from a “total illiteracy” about the service, reinforced by the fact that the water is seen as a free natural resource.
Most tariff differences are due to Multiplicity of management entities. According to the regulating entity of water and waste services (Ersar), they exist in Portugal 351 Entities Managing the water supply, sanitation and urban waste, under different models: direct management (by chambers), delegate (external, generally municipal) or concession (private company). Each model implies coststariff levels and distinct coverage policies, reflecting directly on the consumer’s invoice.
In the case of Santa Maria da Feira, management has been concessed to Inda since 1999. At the time, the House has only covered about 25% of the population, facing serious environmental problems and low sanitation rates. The launched public tender allowed to extend supply coverage and sanitation to almost 100% of the population, upon investment of over 100 million euros, recovered through the charged tariffs.
Eduardo Marques underlines that about 65% Managing entities do not fully cover operating costs through tariffs, depending on municipal subsidies. Low pricing creates the illusion of accessibility, but transfers the charge to taxpayers in general. Municipalities such as Castro Daire or Vila Nova de Foz Côa opt for lower rates, subsidized by the municipality, while Fundão, with concession management, applies high prices to ensure total cost coverage.
To guarantee the viability in the future, experts advocate the need for average tariff increases in the order of 50% At national level, accompanied by social tariffs for needy families. Alfeu Sá Marques, Jubilee Professor at the Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Coimbra, specialist in Hydraulics and currently President of the Municipal Company Águas de Coimbra, even proposes the creation of a National National Water Price.
