The confirmation was given by the Faro Municipality itself, which will have to launch a public tender for this project, which is expected to cost nearly two million euros, according to a report by Sul Informação.

The city council said that this was "a difficult decision" and acknowledged that it will have "significant impacts on the community, particularly on the sports clubs that carry out their training activities there, as well as on the many citizens who, individually or through various municipal projects, carry out their regular activities there."

In a statement, Rogério Bacalhau emphasises that this will be a "major intervention" and that, therefore, there is no possibility of it being carried out in phases or with the pools open to the public.

"In the last two years, we purchased some machinery, but because the pipes are rotten, it is not possible to maintain the air and water quality," he explains.

When asked if this closure could have been avoided with more regular maintenance work, Rogério Bacalhau says no. "We've been doing this over the past few years, but we have to consider that the pools are 30 years old, so this major intervention is now necessary," he says.

According to the mayor, the City Hall is already "preparing a set of procedures and measures aimed at mitigating the effects of this closure," by supporting the affected sports clubs and providing alternatives that "allow them to maintain, as far as possible, the regular practice of municipal activities under the Active Senior project, in terms of gymnastics and water aerobics."

Renovations will only be carried out on the indoor pools. There's no change regarding the outdoor pools, which have been closed for years.