It is estimated that €150,000 will be saved in year one if all the water leaks can be stopped in the water supply system in Castro Marim.
A new report has been commissioned in an agreement reached between the council and a company called Hubel which specialises in solutions, equipment and the undertaking of works for the supply and treatment of water.
This company is being represented by the mayor’s old chum Macario Correia, former mayor of Faro council.
The Mayor of Castro Marim is Francisco Amaral who said that Hubel will conduct a study to detect leaks and other faults to reduce the money wasted by the council on buying water which them is wasted before it gets to the consumer.
"In Castro Marim this costs around €150,000 per year, therefore an investment will bring returns to the city after the first year," said the mayor.
But this money is just for the study, not for the repair work which will need to go to public tender, hence his assertion that the investment will be recovered in year one is nonsensical as the repair works may cost tens of millions of euros. The mayor did not say whether the study had gone to public tender or whether Macario Correia’s firm was just given the job, for some no doubt compelling reason.
"It is public knowledge that the Portuguese municipalities have water losses of between 35 and 40%," said Francisco Amaral.
It is also common knowledge that the Algarve’s councils owe Aguas de Algarve €75 million for water that has been supplied, sold on to consumers and the money held on to, rather than used to pay the supplier.
The Mayor of Castro Marim admitted that the agreement between the municipality and Hubel arose from 'conversations' held with Macario Correia so it is likely that no public tender was put out for this work.
"The representative for Hubel now is engineer Correia and in discussions we came to the conclusion that it would be interesting for the municipality to have this study, which will then allow the tender for the award of repair work," said Francisco Amaral.
The ratepayers of Castro Marim would be justified in asking how many firms tendered for this study and what prices were submitted. If, as is suspected, the answer is 'none,' then this is a clear case of 'jobs for mates' and the opposition should be on the case.
