The Water supply and sanitation services in Portugal have seen important advances in access to services, technologies used and service quality over the past decades (1980s–1990s), partially achieved thanks to important funds from the European Union. Nevertheless, sanitation still remains relatively low in mountain rural areas and some people have their own sources of water controlled by municipalities. During the 1990s Portugal has put in place a modern institutional framework for the sector, which includes a national regulatory agency (ERSAR – The Water and Waste Services Regulation Authority) and multi-municipal water and sanitation companies. Access In Portugal 93% of households have access to drinking water through house connections (97% in urban areas, but only 50% in rural areas) 76% of households have access to sewer connections. Service quality Drinking water Water supply is continuous, except during droughts. Drinking water quality is not consistently good, especially in smaller systems. Portugal does not comply with a series of drinking water parameters (iron, manganese, total coliforms, faecal coliforms, faecal streptococci and clostridium) laid down in the EU drinking water directive. For example, almost 50% of water supply zones do not comply as regards total coliforms, while 20% of the zones do not comply with the faecal coliforms parameter. Wastewater Portugal does not yet fully comply with EU regulations on wastewater discharges. Even where wastewater treatment plants exist they do not always function properly. Especially in cities with combined sewers, treatment plants do not function properly after heavy rains. Sewer overflows during heavy rains are frequent, partly due to unauthorized storm water drain connections to the sewer system. For example, in Lisbon, the waste water treatment plant of Alcântara was not operational in 2007; then refurbished in 2011. In Matosinhos in the region of Porto, only primary (basic) treatment is in place. In Costa de Aveiro (Aveiro, 60% of the polluting load generated is not collected and 65% is not treated. In Póvoa de Varzim/Vila do Conde, 60% of the load is not collected and the level of treatment in place is unknown. In some beaches bathing is restricted because of pollution. Responsibility for water supply and sanitation Policy and regulation The Ministry of Environment and Regional Development is in charge of sector policies. As in many other countries, water and sanitation is not a political priority. Political actions at the local level are often oriented at the short-term, following electoral cycles, with limited