Águas do Algarve

What Águas do Algarve does

Águas do Algarve, S.A. is the multi-municipal water and wastewater concession holder for Portugal's Algarve region, operating as a subsidiary of the state-owned Grupo Águas de Portugal (AdP) holding company and headquartered in Faro. The company holds exclusive concession agreements with all 16 municipalities in the Algarve (including Albufeira, Faro, Lagos, Portimão, Tavira, Loulé, Silves, and Olhão), providing bulk water supply and sanitation services to a population equivalent of approximately 460,000-620,000 inhabitants.

Its core technical assets include surface water treatment plants (ETA Alcantarilha with 259,000 m³/day capacity and ETA Tavira with 190,000 m³/day), the Odelouca dam and reservoir serving as the primary water source in conjunction with the Odeleite-Beliche system, a network of wastewater treatment plants (ETARs) including ETAR da Companheira and ETAR Faro-Olhão, water reuse (ApR) infrastructure at ETAR Quinta do Lago, Boavista, and Vilamoura, an accredited laboratory for water quality analysis, and mainland Portugal's first seawater desalination plant currently under construction following APA approval in 2026. The company is governed by ERSAR, Portugal's water and waste services regulator, and benefits from substantial EU co-financing under Portugal 2030, PO SEUR, Algarve 2030, and the Recovery and Resilience Plan.

Revenue is generated primarily through regulated bulk-water tariffs charged 'in high' (wholesale) to municipal utilities under long-term concession contracts, supplemented by fees from treated wastewater (ApR) sold to golf courses and agricultural users, and EU-funded infrastructure investments. Pricing is set within ERSAR's regulated tariff framework and is not publicly disclosed. Customer relationships are predominantly B2G, with municipal governments as anchor counterparties, while end consumers are reached indirectly through municipal distribution networks.

Name

Águas do Algarve

Legal name

ÁGUAS DO ALGARVE S.A.

Website

https://aguasdoalgarve.pt

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Águas do Algarve is the multi-municipal water and wastewater concession holder for Portugal's Algarve region, providing bulk water supply and sanitation services to all 16 municipalities and approximately 460,000-620,000 inhabitants as a subsidiary of Grupo Águas de Portugal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water and Wastewater Utility Services

NAICS

Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310), Sewage Treatment Facilities (221320), Sewage Treatment Facilities (22132)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Sanitary Services (4950), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Rights, Permitting & Compliance Services (Allocations, Reporting) (AFACAFAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Irrigation Automation & Controls Services (SCADA, Sensors, Telemetry) (AFACAFAI), Commercial & HOA Irrigation Services (Large-Scale Systems) (HSAIAEAJ)

Keywords

• Water supply services
• Wastewater treatment
• Water utilities
• Seawater desalination
• Water reuse systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Albufeira

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Water Supply Concession Services: Revenue generated from multi-municipal water supply concession agreements with 16 municipalities across the Algarve region. The company provides bulk water treatment and distribution services to municipal utilities under regulated tariff frameworks established by ERSAR (Entidade Reguladora dos Serviços de Águas e Resíduos).
2. Wastewater Treatment Services: Revenue from municipal wastewater treatment services provided under multi-municipal sanitation concession contracts. Services include collection, treatment, and discharge of urban wastewater for partner municipalities.
3. Water Reuse (Água para Reutilização): Revenue from treated wastewater sold for irrigation of golf courses (Benamor Golf, Castro Marim & Country Club) and agricultural use. Contracts include ApR supply agreements for reuse applications.
4. EU Funded Infrastructure Projects: European Union funding through Portugal 2030, POVT, PO SEUR, Algarve 2030, and Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) for water infrastructure investments including desalination plant, wastewater treatment upgrades, and system modernization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels13 records

Core offering

Águas do Algarve is a multi-municipal water and sanitation concession holder that provides bulk water supply, wastewater collection and treatment, water reuse, and (under construction) seawater desalination services to 16 municipalities across the Algarve region of southern Portugal. It operates reservoirs, water treatment plants (ETAs), wastewater treatment plants (ETARs), an accredited water quality laboratory, and associated pipeline infrastructure serving a population equivalent of up to 620,000 inhabitants.

Product overview

Águas do Algarve is a multimunicipal water and wastewater utility company operating as part of the Águas de Portugal (AdP) group. The company manages an integrated system comprising water supply infrastructure (including the Odelouca dam/reservoir as primary source, water treatment plants, and distribution networks), wastewater collection and treatment through numerous ETARs, a seawater desalination plant under construction, and water reuse systems for golf courses and agriculture. The €74 million investment program focuses on infrastructure modernization, drought resilience, and sustainable water management. The company also operates an accredited laboratory and runs environmental education programs including the 'A Água e o Mar para Mim' art competition, H2OKids series, and 'Água Jovem' youth program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Water Supply System (Sistema de Abastecimento de Água) Multi-municipal water supply service delivering treated drinking water in bulk (in high) to the 16 concession municipalities, supported by the Odelouca reservoir, the Odeleite-Beliche system, groundwater sources, and ETAs such as Alcantarilha (259,000 m³/day) and Tavira (190,000 m³/day).
• Wastewater Treatment System (Sistema de Saneamento de Águas Residuais) Collection and treatment of urban wastewater from concession municipalities through a regional network of ETARs, with discharge in compliance with EU Directive 91/271/CEE. Examples include ETAR da Companheira (inaugurated 2018) and ETAR Almargem (12,200 m³/day, 48,200 population equivalent).
• Sea Water Desalination Plant (Estação de Dessalinização de Água do Mar - EDAM) Seawater desalination infrastructure producing drinking-grade water to reinforce regional supply and address drought risk; first such plant on mainland Portugal.
• Water for Reuse (Água para Reutilização - ApR) Reclaimed wastewater product supplied to golf courses (e.g., Benamor Golf, Castro Marim & Country Club), agricultural operations, and urban uses under specific ApR supply agreements.
• Hydraulic Enterprise of Odelouca (Empreendimento Hidráulico de Odelouca) Strategic reservoir infrastructure in a Natura 2000 network area that supplies surface water to ETA Alcantarilha and other ETAs, providing primary water security for the region.
• Accredited Water Laboratory (Laboratório) Water quality testing and analysis service supporting operational compliance and regulatory reporting for the concession system.

Quantifiable outcome

• Water supply coverage for 620,000 population equivalent
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Grupo Águas de Portugal (AdP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company of the Águas de Portugal group, a national water sector holding company managing multiple regional water utilities. Águas do Algarve is a subsidiary within this group, benefiting from shared expertise, procurement scale, and coordinated investment programs across Portugal's water sector.
• Câmara Municipal de AlbufeiracoreOthersOne of 16 municipalities served under multi-municipal water supply and sanitation concession agreement. Partnership involves bulk water supply, sanitation services, and collaborative investments in local water infrastructure.
• Câmara Municipal de FarocoreOthersCapital municipality of Algarve served under multi-municipal concession agreement. Partnership includes major infrastructure projects such as ETAR Faro-Olhão construction.
• Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente (APA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPortuguese Environment Agency that approved the construction start of Portugal's first seawater desalination plant in the Algarve in April 2026. Provides regulatory oversight and environmental permitting for major infrastructure projects.
• ERSARcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegulatory Entity for Water and Waste Services that awards quality certifications, excellence prizes, and oversees tariff regulation and service quality standards for Portuguese water utilities.
• Universidade do Algarve (UALG)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional university collaborating on research projects, student dissertations related to water management, and educational programs. Master's thesis collaborations mentioned including 'Ciclo Urbano da Água' by Cátia Duarte.
• VORTALsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPublic procurement platform used for publishing tender notices and managing public procurement processes. Major infrastructure contracts advertised through this platform.
• Consórcio Oliveiras SA / Acciona Agua SAsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConstruction consortium awarded €13.9 million contract in 2016 for design and construction of ETAR Faro-Olhão wastewater treatment plant.
• Ciência VivasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerScience promotion organization with which Águas do Algarve maintains partnership for summer science activities and environmental education programs.
• SEIVA - Semana da Educação e Iniciativas de Voluntariado AmbientalsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual environmental education and volunteer initiative that Águas do Algarve participates in as a partner, supporting community environmental engagement activities.
• AMAL - Comunidade Intermunicipal do AlgarvesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntermunicipal community of the Algarve region bringing together all 16 municipalities for coordinated regional planning and development initiatives.
• Benamor GolfsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGolf course receiving treated wastewater (ApR) from ETAR de Almargem for irrigation purposes under water reuse supply agreement.
• Castro Marim & Country ClubsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGolf resort receiving recycled water for irrigation, representing water reuse partnership supporting sustainable tourism sector.
• INATELsupportingOthersNational Resort and Tourism Institute. Águas do Algarve concluded maintenance intervention at INATEL's water pumping station following detected occurrence during preventive maintenance.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AgdA - Águas Públicas do Alentejo: Alentejo region multi-municipal water utility under AdP. Operates the same concession model with ERSAR regulation, focused on water supply and wastewater treatment across multiple municipalities in a similarly drought-prone region of Portugal.
• Águas do Norte: Northern Portugal multi-municipal water and sanitation concession holder, also under the AdP group. Operates a comparable concession model serving multiple municipalities under ERSAR regulation — directly comparable business structure and revenue framework.
• EPAL - Águas de Lisboa e Vale do Tejo: Lisbon metropolitan water utility and AdP group subsidiary providing water supply and wastewater services under a multi-municipal concession. Direct functional peer with comparable scale, regulatory framework (ERSAR oversight), and concession-based business model.
• Águas de Santo André (AdP): AdP group subsidiary operating industrial and municipal water/wastewater systems in southwestern Portugal. Same concession structure and regulatory framework — smaller scale but highly comparable operational model.
• AdRA - Águas da Região de Aveiro: AdP group subsidiary operating the multi-municipal water supply and sanitation system in the Aveiro region. Same concession structure, same ERSAR regulatory framework, same EU-funded capex programs — a near-perfect operational twin.
• Águas do Centro Litoral: AdP group subsidiary managing multi-municipal water supply and sanitation in Portugal's central littoral region. Same concession model, same EU funding access, same regulatory regime — closely comparable in operations and scale.

Broad incumbents

• Veolia Water Technologies: One of the world's largest water and wastewater service operators with municipal concessions across Europe and globally. Comparable in regulated utility operations, water reuse, and desalination — much larger scale but operates under similar EU frameworks.
• Suez Water Technologies & Solutions: Global water utility and services operator with municipal concessions across Europe. Comparable in regulated water utility operations, water reuse, and desalination, though at much larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• Acciona Agua: Global EPC and concession operator for water infrastructure, partner of Águas do Algarve on the €13.9M ETAR Faro-Olhão design-build contract. Operates water treatment plants and concessions worldwide — broader scope but directly comparable on desalination and wastewater treatment technology.

Regional players

• FCC Aqualia: Spanish water utility operating municipal concessions across Spain and internationally, with strong presence in Iberia. Comparable in regulated multi-municipal concession model, wastewater treatment, and desalination — primarily competing in Spanish market but technologically adjacent.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCl8c4qdLW8Fy4u1Iy4qsdaw
• Xx.com/aguas_algarve
• Facebookfacebook.com/aguasdoalgarve

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Águas do Algarve