One million litres of water were wasted in an hour after a main pipe was hit during works on the Tal-Barrani link road on Monday, according to the Water Services Corporation (WSC).

Commuters were seen driving through the flooded road soon after the incident.

Tal-Barrani Road is a crucial connecting route for many localities in the south, including Tarxien, Fgura, Żabbar, Żejtun, Għaxaq, and the Bulebel industrial estate, as well as an important link to Marsaxlokk and Birżebbuġa. 

The WSC spokesperson told Times of Malta it is estimated around 15,000 households in nearby localities were impacted by the incident, but the disruption was probably “minimal” because of water tanks in people’s homes.

Homes and businesses in Tarxien, Paola, Luqa, Santa Luċija and the Marsa Industrial Estate received a text message on Monday warning that they could be left without water for the whole day, with services likely to be restored by the evening.

Infrastructure Malta said works immediately began in cooperation with the WSC to repair the damage and restore services.

The WSC spokesperson confirmed that the damaged pipe was repaired by Infrastructure Malta’s contractor, using materials and fittings supplied by the corporation.

“Regarding the volume of water lost, it is estimated that approximately 1,000 cubic metres of water (1 million litres) were wasted between 10.15am and 11.15am,” the spokesperson said.

The amount of water wasted could fill one-third of the Tal-Qroqq Olympic 50-metre pool, or almost 7,000 rectangular bathtubs (that hold around 150 litres).

When asked if anyone would be fined for the damages, the spokesperson said an investigation was launched to determine if the contractor was at fault.

He said that if the contractor is at fault, “penalties” would be imposed to cover costs of material, loss of water, and the hours of supervision and administration.