Water supply and sanitation in Portugal

Portugal: Water and sanitation
Data
Water coverage (broad definition)	99%
Sanitation coverage (broad definition)	99%
Continuity of supply (%)	High
Average urban water use (l/c/d)	n/a
Average urban water and sewer tariff (euro/m3)	About 0.90
Share of household metering	n/a
Share of collected wastewater treated	n/a
Annual investment in WSS	n/a
Share of self-financing by utilities	n/a
Share of tax-financing	n/a
Share of external financing	n/a
Institutions
Decentralization to municipalities	Partial
National water and sanitation company	Yes (AdP)
Water and sanitation regulator	Yes (ERSAR)
Responsibility for policy setting	Ministry of Environment
Sector law	No
Number of urban service providers	13 regional companies as part of AdP and 116 municipalities
Number of rural service providers	n/a

The Water supply and sanitation services in Portugal have seen important advances in access to services, technologies used and service quality over the past decades (1980s–1990s), partially achieved thanks to important funds from the European Union. Nevertheless, sanitation still remains relatively low in mountain rural areas and some people have their own sources of water controlled by municipalities.

During the 1990s Portugal has put in place a modern institutional framework for the sector, which includes a national regulatory agency (ERSAR – The Water and Waste Services Regulation Authority) and multi-municipal water and sanitation companies.