Azores Pilot Project: Turning Brackish Water to Drinking Water
The island of Faial in the Azores is set to lead a pioneering initiative to combat water scarcity by transforming brackish water into high-quality drinking water. The pilot project, backed by European Union funding, aims to restore degraded water sources using a blend of ancient wisdom and modern technology.
Tackling Salinity in Local Boreholes
The experiment centers on the Cancelas borehole in the parish of Castelo Branco. Over decades of intensive use, the borehole’s water quality has significantly declined due to rising salinity levels. To reverse this, officials plan to inject harvested rainwater into the aquifer to dilute the salt content and stabilize the resource.
“We have an identified problem of high salinity in the water from the Cancelas borehole,” explained Carlos Ferreira, Mayor of Horta. “What we intend to do is inject rainwater to recover it and provide the population with better quality water.”
A Blueprint for Island Resilience
The initiative is part of the “Genesis” project, a large-scale European effort to strengthen the climate resilience of critical water infrastructure. If the Faial pilot succeeds, the technique will be scaled across the Azores and shared with other regions facing similar challenges, such as Madeira, the Canary Islands, and Cape Verde.
The initial phase of the recovery effort at the Cancelas borehole will receive €300,000 in EU community funds. This local effort is part of the broader Genesis program (Geologically Enhanced NaturE-based Solutions for climate change resiliency of critical water InfraStructure), which launched in September 2024 with a total budget of €10.5 million.
Merging Tradition with Technology
The project brings together more than 30 specialists, technicians, and advisors who recently met in Horta to conduct workshops and site visits. According to Pavlos Tyrologou of the European Federation of Geologists, the project’s philosophy is to modernize traditional water management practices.
“We try to bring the ancient wisdom and tradition of previous generations and capitalize on it with science,” Tyrologou said. “In this project, you will see ways in which people capture and preserve water with the help of sensors and new technologies.”
The Genesis project is scheduled to run until August 2028, positioning the Azores as a testing ground for nature-based solutions that could secure the future of water resources for island communities worldwide.
Image: Pexels – Ramon Perucho
