The Regional Secretary for Agriculture and the Environment revealed today that more than 98% of the water consumed in the Azores is of good quality. This figure is guaranteed by 23 thousand annual tests as well as by a permanent health monitoring system. In this regard, the Region is "a national reference in water distribution."

"The Azores register the best national indicators for the water supply sector, whether in terms of sampling frequency and compliance with parametric values or even in terms of safe water indicator," said Luís Neto Viveiros at the opening of the 13th Technical Meeting - EcoServices.

In his speech, the government official pointed out that, in order to "boost consumer confidence in tap water quality and taking into account public health and environmental preservation goals," the Regional Government will distinguish the Azorean municipalities that meet standards of excellence with the "Water Quality Seal for Human Consumption" in 2016.

According to the Secretary for the Environment, "managing bodies [water supply, sanitation and waste] now face the challenge of the transition from the construction cycle to the system management cycle".

In this context, Luís Neto Viveiros highlighted the approval of a Support Programme for Infrastructure Asset Management, a measure aimed at managing bodies subject to ERSARA regulation - Entity for the Regulation of Water and Waste Services of the Azores (ERSARA).

The amount of financial support to be granted by ERSARA nay reach up to 80% of the cost incurred with the acquisition of computer equipment (software) to support geographic information systems as well as the acquisition of data collection and formatting data services.

Luís Neto Viveiros stressed that "municipal solid waste management, water supply to populations and sanitation of urban waste water are key issues." In this context, the government official pointed out that, "as a result of the implementation of good practices," the Azores currently register "excellent indicators in each of these areas, which evidence their effectiveness."

"We found that the efforts in the collection, transport and recovery of waste register the fastest growth, the Regional Secretary said, adding that the construction and entry into operation of Waste Processing Centres has changed the "waste management paradigm" in the archipelago.