Lisbon's Drinking Water at Risk Due to Mining Waste Collapse in Covilhã
A recent collapse of a mine tailings structure at the Panasqueira mining complex in Covilhã, Portugal, has raised concerns about the potential contamination of Lisbon's drinking water. The incident, which occurred after several days of intense rainfall, resulted in large volumes of mining waste being released into the Cebola stream, a tributary of the Zêzere River. This river is a crucial source of water for the Castelo de Bode reservoir, which supplies drinking water to the Lisbon metropolitan area. The Empresa Portuguesa das Águas Livres (EPAL), responsible for Lisbon's water supply, has initiated water sampling operations to assess the impact on water quality. This is the third known failure of the tailings facility, highlighting the vulnerability of aging mine waste structures in the region. 
