Updated 5.08 pm to include Wasteserv Malta's comment

A €1.5 million parking lot with a garden on its roof has started leaking rust-coloured water on cars, motorists have complained.

The facility was inaugurated just under six months ago in Misraħ is-Sebgħa ta’ Ġunju 1919, Ħamrun.

The rooftop garden features a variety of trees, shrubs and plants.

Video: Matthew Mirabelli

Neighbours who spoke to Times of Malta said that the pipe system which appears to be connected to the garden’s drainage system is leaking and causing the metal structures around it to rust and drip on parked cars. 

Three pipes beneath the structure appear to be leaking, with visible rust spots blossoming around them.

Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Funded by money diverted from Malta’s cash for passports scheme through the National Development and Social Fund, the project was led by Greenserv.

Solar panels were also installed on the structure to create shade, while a water reservoir was refurbished to irrigate the plants in the garden.

Contractor working to fix the issue

A spokesperson for Wasteserv Malta, which runs Greenserv as its green implementation arm, said that the Ħamrun garden project is bound by a two-year defect notification period and that the contractor is working to address the issue. 

"The contractor has been working on this issue for a number of weeks to determine the cause of the leakage to that the necessary remedial works are carried out," the spokesperson said.

"Any resulting damage will also be repaired to ensure the green space and sheltered car park are enjoyed by the community."