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Inflow and Infiltration Control Campaign
What are Inflow and Infiltration?
Inflow and Infiltration takes place when there is excessive (unauthorized) flow in the separative drainage systems, which can cause damage to the networks.
There are two types of drainage:
Inflow and Infiltration Scenarios:
What are the negative impacts of Inflow and Infiltration?
“Inflow and Infiltration have structural, environmental, social, financial and public health consequences”
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What is Infraquinta's role in Inflow and Infiltration Control?
Infraquinta is responsible for the urban space and public infrastructures management at Quinta do Lago.
Quinta do Lago is a high-quality tourism area which is inserted in Ria Formosa Natural Park (nature conservation area), where the environment and nature are privileged.
Infraquinta is responsible for guaranteeing harmony between nature and urbanized areas. Aims to reduce/prevent environmental impacts through an efficient Inflow and Infiltration Control Plan.
An Inflow and Infiltration Control Campaign is taking place, that aims to identify and correct stormwater household connections to the sewerage, in order to prevent floods and environmental impacts.
What is the Inflow and Infiltration Control Campaign purpose?
Household connections to the public network must comply legal requirements, which demand the separation of domestic wastewater from stormwater.
The Inflow and Infiltration Control Campaign purpose is the identification of illegal connections, throughout inspections using a smoke (non-toxic and non-polluting) generating machine.
Smoke generating machine’s procedure follows the illustration below:
- Smoke injection into the manhole or household connection
- Smoke will be visible in case of illegal connection (which may emerge through outdoor floor grids, gutters and storm drains)
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Is the smoke used in these inspections safe?
The smoke used in the inspections is both non-toxic and non-polluting, with no negative effects on health or the environment, because it is manufactured for this purpose.
It is not expectable that smoke will get inside your house, however, if you notice smoke inside, during the inspection, you should ventilate the room and, in a few minutes, it will be gone.
When will the Inflow and Infiltration Control Campaign take place?
The campaign is expected to run throughout 2022, starting in March.
Inspections will be carried out between 8:00 am and 4:30 pm with notice never less than 8 days.
What are the legal requirements?
Free translation
Household connections:
Artigo 198.º do Decreto-Regulamentar 23/95
Upstream of the connection manhole, it is mandatory to separate the domestic wastewater and stormwater drainage systems.
Artigo 112.º do Regulamento dos Serviços Públicos de Abastecimento de Água e de Saneamento de Águas Residuais do Município de Loulé (Reg. n.º 1008/2016)
Building systems are subject to inspection by the Utility whenever there are complaints from users (1), contamination or pollution risks (2), or suspected fraud (3).
Property access and the owner or property manager presence:
Artigo 112.º do Regulamento dos Serviços Públicos de Abastecimento de Água e de Saneamento de Águas Residuais do Município de Loulé (Reg. n.º 1008/2016)
No. 2: In accordance with the previous number, the owner, usufructuary, property manager and/or lease holder must allow free access to the Utility, provided that is given at least eight days’ notice, by registered letter or equivalent means, with the date and with a maximum of two hours range, scheduled for the inspection.
No. 3: The assessment report must be communicated to those responsible for the anomalies or irregularities, setting a deadline for their correction.
Penalties:
In case of negative inspection and non-correction of the anomalies within the deadline
Channeling stormwater to the public domestic wastewater sewer, or vice versa, is an administrative offence punishable by a fine of €1,500 to €3,740 in case of individuals, and €7,500 to €44,890 in case of entities, pursuant to artigo 104.º do Regulamento dos Serviços Públicos de Abastecimento de Água e de Saneamento de Águas Residuais do Município de Loulé (Reg. n.º 1008/2016) and artigo 72.º do Decreto-Lei n.º 194/2009, de 20 de agosto.
In case of negligence is punishable according to artigo 105.º do Regulamento dos Serviços Públicos de Abastecimento de Água e de Saneamento de Águas Residuais do Município de Loulé (Reg. n.º 1008/2016).