On July 15^th , Zoomarine inaugurated its Wastewater Recycling and Reuse System, in association with the Albufeira Poente Wastewater Treatment Plant (ETAR Albufeira Poente) and in close partnership with Águas do Algarve, SA. This new facility represents an investment of more than €130,000 and places Zoomarine among the national leaders in this type of initiative for Environmental Sustainability.

The Wastewater Recycling and Reuse System includes a tertiary (biological) treatment station and will be one of the first of its kind in Portugal. It took four years to develop, beginning with a strategic study led by Professor Maria João Rosa and her team at LNEC – the National Laboratory for Civil Engineering. Thanks to this new operational capacity, it is estimated that hundreds of thousands of litres of water will be saved annually, particularly in the irrigation of gardens, nurseries and similar uses.

It should be noted that, as early as 2014, Zoomarine had already invested in the construction of a 4.7-kilometre pipeline to capture (and later return) seawater. With the new system, water savings will now occur not only in terms of saltwater (for zoological habitats, the rehabilitation centre, public pools and slides) but also in freshwater (for the irrigation of gardens and similar purposes). Soon, increased use of rainwater will allow Zoomarine to achieve an even smaller environmental footprint.

The inauguration of the new system took place on July 15^th and was presided over by the Portuguese Minister for the Environment and Climate Action, Duarte Cordeiro. The event was also attended by representatives of several institutions, including Eng. António Eusébio, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Águas do Algarve SA (a key and enthusiastic partner of Zoomarine in this process), the Mayor of Albufeira, as well as representatives of ICNF – Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests, and APA – Portuguese Environment Agency.

This is a landmark day for the Algarve – because every drop counts… And they truly do! Especially when they are given a “second chance at life”. And because every drop, together, becomes rivers, lakes and oceans, filling our collective future with hope and with green – because Together, We Protect!