Despite of the season, the project's main construction works are now in tight progress, according to planning.
Works are ongoing along Évora's wall, between Portas de Aviz and Portas de Alconchel, as part of action C, as well as in Avenida de Lisboa, as part of the pilot action C5. Works have mostly included digging and setting undergound piping, on the project area that is more difficult to intervene, given the existence of other burried insfrastructures and major traffic on the surface.
Following various delays on the public contracting procedures related to the wider project works, we reached the moment for construction works to start on field.
Along last week, CME's team has been on field assessing the start of the first works, which relate to the opening of swales and other works needed for installation of piping of the pilot system that will distribute water from the aqueduct to the city's green areas.
Following identical works, a visit from LIFE monitoring team was yesterday concluded. CME's team had the opportunity to inform about the ongoing works, as well as to provide updates on the forthcoming works. The project coordinator and project manager informed Dimas Fernandez, NEEMO's monitor, about ongoing and foreseeable works, as well as about the overall planning and finantial execution.
The first meeting of the project's Stakeholder Board took place yesterday at the facilities from the Municipality. Following delays that were initially related with the delayed conclusion of the project's major public contracting procedure - dealing with the reuse of the aqueduct's water - and further enhanced by the restrictions to onsite meeting due to the pandemic, this meeting allowed to hear and dicuss, with major stakeholders, the project and its developments.
With a high participation, the meeting's agenda included presentation of the project's major goals, works and current developments, as well as a participated discussion with attending stakeholders. Following this, various suggestions were identfiied for future cooperation, namely on the communication, engagement and awareness raising works that, now that the major works are contracted, are expected for the forthcoiming times. Regarding exceution, to highlight that the construction subcontracting has finally reached its end, with works on field expected to start along te next month, still in June.
On a day we celebrate water, we invite you to watch our new project video.
Main project works on the aquaduct will start soon. But keep also in mind on what you can do on your own to adapt to climate change!
As part of the LIFE Água da Prata project (LIFE17 CCA / PT / 000076), the Évora City Council will open a tender procedure for the award of a contract for the repair of the springs and pipelines of the Água da Prata Aqueduct, retrofitting of pumping stations and wells dof Graça do Divor, construction of a water reservoir in S. Bento and construction of a water distribution network.
These works will allow to capture, store and distribute the water from the “springs of Divor” and its use in the irrigation of 20,3 ha of urban green spaces, which is equivalent to about half of the green areas of the city and corresponds to the saving of 140.000 m3 / year of water.
This action, in addition to the obvious advantages from the environmental and financial point of view, represents an important contribution to the “decarbonisation” of the city, since the water supply will be done in a gravitational manner, also reducing energy consumption and corresponding CO2 emissions of around 2,16 tonnes / year.
In a broader context, this and other actions that will follow contribute to the pursuit of the priority objectives and areas of action defined in EMAAC of Évora (http://www.cm-evora.pt/pt/site-viver/Habitar/ambiente /Paginas/Projeto-ClimAdaPT-Local.aspx). (Évora Notícias, 26 July 2019)
The Évora City Council announced that it is implementing a project with the objective of reusing the water from the springs of the Água de Prata Aqueduct for the irrigation of some green spaces in the city, namely the gardens on the west side, from the Bairro da Cartuxa to the neighborhood of Na Sr.a do Carmo. The project is called “LIFE - Água da Prata” and has a global budget of 1.354.352 €, being 60% co-financed by the European Commission, through the LIFE programme, with a duration of four and a half years.
During this period, the City Council will adapt the aqueduct with the construction of a water distribution network capable of irrigating 50% of urban green areas by gravity. Thus, the municipality expects to save around 120.000m3 of treated water and at the same time reduce energy consumption. (Diário Campário, 20 November 2018)