Society

Rehabilitated Águas e Energia do Porto lab offers optimum conditions to handle water in Porto

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The renovation of the laboratory of the Águas e Energia do Porto is now completed. The facilities are now equipped with state of the art technologies, and the capacity to assess the quality of the water has been enhanced, thus ensuring that tap water in Porto meets both quality and safety requirements.

The white building’s architectural form supports itself, reflecting the prominence of the design and edges. Window facades play along and convey the excellence of a renovated lab at the municipal company Águas e Energia do Porto, a place where science and infrastructure go hand in hand to deliver optimum water quality.

Nearly two years since the beginning of the rehabilitation work, amid the pandemic, the Lab of the Águas e Energia do Porto is now in full operating mode. Mayor of Porto, Rui Moreira visited the site this morning, accompanied by the architect and author of the project, Eduardo Souto de Moura, and by the Board of Directors of the company (AEdP).

The three storey laboratory is equipped with state of the art technology and independent areas that will house each and every one of the techniques to assess the entire water cycle, in order to safeguard public health while consolidating its brand image of customer satisfaction.

The works were rather demanding, not only due to the pandemic context, but also owing to the technical standards that the labs must comply with, for example, the type of materials. “This is not a regular building, it is an endeavour of great complexity. There were some adjustments so that we could adapt to the pandemic, and new requirements to follow, as well. The challenges were huge. The investment was circa 1.7 million euros in total”, referred the AEdP chairman of the Board of administration, Frederico Fernandes.

This investment will itself pay back with the strengthened working capacity that will allow to provide external services. “We have been contacted by other municipalities and water managing entities that are looking for accredited laboratories to run their tests and we will have the capacity to conduct those services”, noted Frederico Fernandes

Specific area to identify the Covid-19 virus

The rehabilitation works included a specific area to deal with the Covid-19 virus, to enable the identification of SARS-CoV-2 in waste waters, meeting the demands that the current pandemic situation carries in terms of community challenges.

“We have been monitoring affluent wastewaters treatment plants, namely the ETAR of Freixo and Sobreiras, jointly with the Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research of the University of Porto”, recalled Frederico Fernandes, emphasizing that the municipal company now has an improved response: “With this new lab, we will ourselves have the proper conditions to perform this type of assessment and detect the virus. And that applies to other types of substances, other than this virus today, substances that may exist in the future”.

The Laboratory is the new welcoming card of the Gardens of Nova Sintra and a sort of presentation card of the company”, Frederico Fernandes affirmed and added that the space also brought a significant improvement of the working conditions”.

“Renovating the lab was an old dream.” The president of AEdP explained, furthering that “the quality of the water is sacred to us: the quality of the water in Porto is excellent”, he concluded.

“We hope we can bring here students in the areas of chemistry, quality, and analytical control of the water, in coordination with the Water Pavilion”, Frederico Fernandes mentioned, referring a more pedagogical approach to the laboratory.

As of May this year, the municipal company extended its competences to the Energy area, and now holds the designation CMPEAE – Empresa de Águas e Energia do Município do Porto – in short, Águas e Energia do Porto.

Recently, the company also adopted a thorough review of the water Safety Plan, which increases a tighten control over the system, in accordance with the World Health Organisation and community law.