Due to the high consumption and incorrect disposal of pharmaceutical active compounds (PhACs), they are recognized as contaminants of emerging concern. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) may be inefficient in removing PhACs, therefore discharging them into surface waters. The removal efficiencies of five WWTPs located in the south of Portugal (Alentejo) were evaluated in 2020. Twenty-six PhACs were analyzed in wastewater influents, effluents, and surface waters, upstream and downstream of the WWTPs by solid-phase extraction (SPE) and ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass detection (UPLC–MS/MS). The most representative PhACs in influents were acetaminophen, caffeine, naproxen, ibuprofen, and diclofenac with minimum-maximum concentrations of 49–225 µg/L, 26–46 µg/L, 5.9–13 µg/L, 5.2–22 µg/L, and 1.3–2.5 µg/L, respectively. For effluents, it was acetaminophen, caffeine, and diclofenac with minimum-maximum concentrations of 0.054–7.8 µg/L, 0.084–4.8 µg/L, and 0.28–3.3 µg/L, respectively. The highest removal efficiencies were observed for acetaminophen, sulfadiazine, cortisone, testosterone, metoprolol, and propranolol (100%). The lowest removal efficiencies were observed for carbamazepine (2.7%) and diclofenac (−13.2%). The risk quotient of sulfamethoxazole and diclofenac were higher than 1 for receiving waters, indicating they probably pose high risks to aquatic organisms.

Monitoring the quality of water is a requisite to prevent outbreaks related to waterborne diseases, predominantly caused by pathogens like enteric viruses, usually transmitted via the fecal-oral route. This study aimed to survey a group of enteric viruses (Enterovirus, Norovirus genogroups I and II, and hepatitis A virus) in two surface water sources of drinking water, also intending to evaluate the extent of their elimination in the two water treatment plants (WTPs) involved in drinking water production. Correlations between these viruses and fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) were also evaluated. Positive samples for viral RNA were recurrently found by reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and quantified, in genomic copies per liter (gc/L) of sampled water. Viral RNAs were detected in 14 out of 27 samples of surface water, and 21 out of 36 samples of drinking water, NoV II having been the most frequently detected in both (0–78.6 gc/L and 0–12.5 gc/L, respectively). Both WTPs showed variable efficacies in the elimination of viral RNA. Only one correlation was found with FIB, between NoV II and intestinal enterococci. These results recommend the monitoring of enteric viruses over time and their inclusion in the mandatory analysis of water quality.

Water quality monitoring is a fundamental tool in the management of freshwater resources. The purpose of monitoring is to provide meaningful quality data for local action planning and catchment-wide decision making. The assessment of water quality is crucial to guarantee the efficient operation of the Water Treatment Plants (WTPs), promoting health conditions and contributing for a more sustainable urban water cycle. In accordance, the objective of this study was to evaluate key target chemical and microbiological water quality parameters, some of them already monitored within Portuguese/EU legal framework and others still not regulated, but with environmental and human heath relevance. A local monitoring database model, using a 6-year period (from 2014 to 2019) of water quality data, regarding water samples collected on representative sampling locations covering the freshwater abstraction sites, conventional WTPs and distribution network was assessed. This work provides new knowledge regarding occurrence and seasonal behaviour for both microbiological and chemical water quality parameters, essential to understand/manage the water supply system. Additionally, relationships between the target variables were also assessed. Particularly, strong correlations were identified between TOC and THMs formation at distribution network (r = 0.69; p ≤ 0.001); nitrates were the water quality parameter that revealed the best correlation between surface water source and treated water (r = 0.81; p ≤ 0.001), suggesting that treatment yield/performance is dependent on surface water load. The local and continuous monitoring of water systems are crucial to implement new approaches to guarantee the best quality of drinking water throughout the supply system.

In 2007, EPAL – Empresa Portuguesa das Águas Livres, S.A. – started to implement a water safety plan (WSP) in its water supply system, from source to tap, following the international methodologies regarding risk management of water quality. Since the implementation of its first version of the WSP, EPAL has been working on the optimization of its methodology regarding identification and evaluation of hazards/hazardous events and risk assessment. The main objective of this optimization is the prioritization of capital investments and implementation of mitigation actions, within the integrated risk-based management of the company. For this purpose, the initial risk assessment matrixes were optimized with the integration of new specific multicriteria tools to evaluate risks associated with different types of operational assets. The final risk assessment took into account the strategic importance of each individual asset within EPAL's supply system. The new risk assessment methodologies have helped decision-making and prioritization of capital investments and also allowed EPAL to better pinpoint the critical issues to address in its supply system.

Presently, water quantity and quality problems persist both in developed and developing countries, and concerns have been raised about the presence of emerging pollutants (EPs) in water. The circular economy provides ways of achieving sustainable resource management that can be implemented in the water sector, such as the reuse of drinking water treatment sludges (WTSs). This study evaluated the potential of WTS containing a high concentration of activated carbon for the removal of two EPs: the steroid hormones 17β-estradiol (E2) and 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2). To this end, WTSs from two Portuguese water treatment plants (WTPs) were characterised and tested for their hormone adsorbance potential. Both WTSs showed a promising adsorption potential for the two hormones studied due to their textural and chemical properties. For WTS1, the final concentration for both hormones was lower than the limit of quantification (LOQ). As for WTS2, the results for E2 removal were similar to WTS1, although for EE2, the removal efficiency was lower (around 50%). The overall results indicate that this method may lead to new ways of using this erstwhile residue as a possible adsorbent material for the removal of several EPs present in wastewaters or other matrixes, and as such contributing to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) targets.