of the best works of engineering that, jointly
with the bastioned walls of the city and the
Graça and Santa Luzia forts, represent the
best bastioned fortifcation system in the
world.
Thanks to its history and design, this forti-
fcation is a candidate for being selected a
World Heritage Site”
A truly hydraulic work and stretching over
8 kilometers, with 843 arches at different
levels, and standing up to 31 meters high,
the aqueduct brought water from the Mar-
mol spring to the Misericordia fountain,
which is still functioning.
The city of Elvas is built in a human scale
and has adapted to modern times. Its his-
toric heritage is rich in cultural, archeologi-
cal, and nature sites; has excellent public
services, civic and sports facilities, and a
great cultural and musical offering
Would you, Mr. Fernandes Mocinha, des-
cribe Elvas as a city conceived and de-
signed for its enjoyment and for living
comfortably?
“Yes, indeed. The city is designed for cons-
tantly improving the lives of its residents. All
teams are specifcally focused internally and
externally, such as the Coliseu José Ron-
dão de Almeida which includes programs
to satisfy the Spanish market since Elvas is
at the border with Spain.
Has the supply of drinking water impro-
ved in recent years in Elvas?
“Yes, it has improved considerably. Before,
water supply was constantly being cut off in
the summer months, often because of lack
of water in the deposits since the supply
was defcient but also due to an obsolete
distribution network with constant breaka-
ges.
Currently, and since Aqualia is in charge of
handling the service, we have not had any
more lack of water in any of the deposits.
The 24-hour day service meets the expec-
tations of the city’s residents and, if they are
satisfed, so is the Town Council.”
Are you particularly proud of any project?
“One of the landmark projects was the
construction of a wastewater collector at
the Cêto creek, since, besides resolving a
basic sanitation problem, it has brought
back the natural biodiversity of this stream
situated within the urban area and which
now contributes greatly to improving the
quality of life of residents.
Remote management has been the project
that has contributed the most to effciency.
Our FCC Group is a leading, diversifed and
international citizen’s services group and
From left to right, Víctor Ferreira, head of Aqualia Marketing y Communication in Portugal; Joao de Matos, head of Aqualia’s
Client Management Department in Portugal; Carlota Córdoba, head of Marketing and Communication at the Extremadura-
Portugal branch; Artur Vidal, Aqualia manager in Portugal; and Ruy Nabeiro, head of Aqualia Services in Elvas.