The initiative will cover various sectors impacted by the incident, including hospitality, agriculture, fishing, commerce and catering.

According to a statement, the new service will provide several forms of assistance: assessing damage, guiding victims through the process of submitting claims for non-contractual compensation to Águas do Centro Litoral (AdCL), and offering technical support for future applications to funding programmes. A damage report may be submitted through a form available on the municipality’s website or in person at the Town Hall.

The council stressed that the service is aimed at entrepreneurs and business owners across the sectors most affected. The initiative is supported by the Intermunicipal Community of the Region of Leiria, which is providing technical expertise, particularly in legal matters.

The discharge was caused by a breakdown at the Monte Real pumping station on 12 August, forcing thousands of cubic metres of untreated sewage into the Lis River and nearby irrigation ditches. The following day, AdCL explained that the pumping system had been rendered inoperable due to equipment failure, triggering emergency discharge mechanisms at Monte Real and at the upstream Serra de Porto do Urso station.

As a result, swimming was temporarily banned at Praia da Vieira, where the river meets the sea, and activities such as irrigation, bathing and fishing were discouraged downstream of Monte Real. The fault was resolved in the early hours of 14 August.

Since then, a government-led monitoring commission has been established, and AdCL has pledged accountability. Today, its president, Alexandre Tavares, confirmed that an independent team will be contracted to conduct an environmental impact assessment. Meanwhile, the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) estimated that between 20,000 and 25,000 cubic metres of raw sewage entered the river, calling the incident “serious, with severe implications.”