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Verify the capture, title and actual use

Can I rely on a well or borehole when buying land?

Identify the exact capture and intended abstraction, ask for the original water-resource title or the applicable licensing record, verify its holder and conditions, and commission suitable quantity and quality checks. A visible well or a PDF from an online search does not by itself establish a current right or adequate supply.

Follow the evidence route

Checked against the published sources on .

Question to send in Portuguese

In English: for this exact capture, identify the current title, holder, scope, conditions and procedure. Attach coordinates, property identifiers, intended use and the document supplied by the seller.

Para a captação localizada nas coordenadas e planta anexas, que título de utilização de recursos hídricos está atualmente em vigor, quem é o titular, que finalidade, volume, condições, validade e obrigações abrange e que procedimento se aplica à utilização ou alteração aqui descrita?

Attach the exact property identifiers, dated evidence and intended operation; keep the Portuguese wording unchanged.

Page guide · 1 minUnderstand this pageKey points, plain-language terms and useful next steps.

Why this matters

Private water, wells and boreholes on Portuguese land

Imagine you need to answer this before deciding what to do next: “Can I rely on a well or borehole when buying land?” Identify the exact capture and intended abstraction, ask for the original water-resource title or the applicable licensing record, verify its holder and conditions, and commission suitable quantity and quality checks. A visible well or a PDF from an online search does not by itself establish a current right or adequate supply. The simple rule: A well, borehole or spring is usable evidence only when its exact capture, title, status, capacity and water quality fit the intended use.

What this page helps you do

  • Five separate facts make private water usable
  • Questions the visible water source cannot answer
  • A safer private-water verification route
  • Prepare the capture file
  • Ask APA/ARH for the exact title and route

Words made simple

TURH
A title for the use of water resources; its form and scope depend on the use.
ARH
The relevant regional water administration within APA for territorial water-resource matters.
Borehole / furo
A drilled groundwater capture; its existence does not establish title, yield or potable quality.
Yield
Observed supply under stated conditions and time, not a permanent guarantee.

Questions you may have

  • Does a visible well prove a right to use it?
  • Is the SILiAmb PDF enough?
  • Does no online result prove no title exists?
  • Can I drink the water if the capture is licensed?

Five separate facts make private water usable

  1. Exact capture

    Record coordinates, type, depth where relevant and the land on which abstraction occurs; do not transfer a title from a nearby well.

  2. Current legal title

    Water-resource uses can require different titles. Match the original title and conditions to this capture and intended use.

  3. Holder and transfer

    A seller's ownership of land does not automatically prove that the water title is current, transferable or in that person's name.

  4. Quantity and seasonality

    Historic use, a full tank or a verbal litres-per-hour claim is not a current, seasonal yield assessment.

  5. Quality for the intended use

    Irrigation, household and drinking uses ask different questions; sampling and treatment must fit the actual system and date.

Questions the visible water source cannot answer

  1. Online PDF only

    SILiAmb explains that a displayed title PDF does not replace the legally valid original and that older titles may not appear in the consultation.

  2. Shared or neighbour source

    Document the right, route, maintenance, capacity and failure arrangements; physical supply alone does not establish an enforceable right.

  3. Different intended use

    A title or test for one use does not establish permission or suitability for a different abstraction, volume or use.

  4. No title supplied

    Do not call the capture illegal or exempt from absence alone. Ask the competent authority to classify the actual facts and search.

A safer private-water verification route

  1. Locate and photograph

    Fix the capture on the parcel plan and record equipment, storage and distribution.

  2. Request the original title

    Collect title, amendments, renewals, holder details and submitted technical elements.

  3. Consult SILiAmb carefully

    Use the consultation as a lead, preserving search date and limitations, not as a substitute for the original.

  4. Ask APA/ARH

    Submit exact location, existing title and intended use and request the current status and route in writing.

  5. Test quantity and quality

    Commission suitable current testing and interpret it for the intended system and demand.

  6. Plan for limits and failure

    Document storage, treatment, maintenance, energy and an alternative supply without assuming permission.

Prepare the capture file

  • Parcel identifiers and capture coordinates
  • Original title and amendments
  • Holder and transfer evidence
  • Historic abstraction and maintenance records
  • Current yield assessment
  • Current laboratory results
  • Intended uses and demand
  • Storage, treatment and fallback system

How a robust answer sounds

Evidence you can follow

  • Names the controlling document or act
  • Matches the exact property, operation and scope
  • States the version, date or validity

Answer that leaves the decision open

  • Gives a generic conclusion without the case facts
  • Cites no official source or act
  • Does not match the exact property or operation

Private-water terms in plain language

TURH
A title for the use of water resources; its form and scope depend on the use.
ARH
The relevant regional water administration within APA for territorial water-resource matters.
Borehole / furo
A drilled groundwater capture; its existence does not establish title, yield or potable quality.
Yield
Observed supply under stated conditions and time, not a permanent guarantee.
What this page cannot prove

Common questions

The questions people usually ask next

Does a visible well prove a right to use it?

No. Identify the title, holder, conditions and intended use.

Is the SILiAmb PDF enough?

No. Official help states the displayed PDF does not replace the legally valid original.

Does no online result prove no title exists?

No. Official help notes that titles issued before October 2012 do not appear in that consultation.

Can I drink the water if the capture is licensed?

A title does not certify potability. Obtain suitable current testing and health advice.

Can I drill a new borehole anywhere?

No conclusion follows from this guide. Ask APA/ARH for the exact location, use and current procedure.

Continue with purpose

Each link has a specific job in the decision—not just a matching keyword.

Understand first

Off-grid Homes

Use this page for the related evidence check; it does not replace the competent authority's decision.

Open the related check

Next step

Flood Risk

Use this page for the related evidence check; it does not replace the competent authority's decision.

Open the related check

Applies when

National Ecological Reserve — REN

Use this page for the related evidence check; it does not replace the competent authority's decision.

Open the related check

Compare with

Due diligence before signing a CPCV for land

Use this page for the related evidence check; it does not replace the competent authority's decision.

Open the related check

Primary sources

Check the official material

These links support the central explanation. Open the original source when you need the current detail.