The historical use of groundwater sources is well known in the region, as they are still continuously delivering water. The availability assessment done while elaborating the project enables us to predict that the reuse of these sources, in a sustained way, will allow to satisfy current irrigation needs of the targeted green areas.
As precipitation reduction and subsequent surface water scarcity are a clear evidence from climate change in the project area (for which additional and detailed climate modelling forecasts have been undertaken within the works of the Clim.Adapt.Local project), this diversification of water sources is seen as a sustainable way to adapt for irrigation of green urban areas. This re-use will only account for flow rates out coming from natural springs, which are currently not being used, therefore not compromising the underground aquifers levels.
The (re)use of sustainable untreated underground water for irrigation of green areas is estimated to encompass around 120.000 m3 of water per year, which is currently being supplied by from a surface natural reservoir – Monte Novo – that has been facing increasing water scarcity along the years due to lower precipitation.