Farmers in the south of Malta are worried that the supply of reclaimed water is not enough to keep their crops sufficiently watered.

A group of farmers who till fields in the Xgħajra area told Times of Malta that, although a new system to pump out treated water initially provided more than enough for the area, the supply has now dwindled.

Outages at the plant producing this so-called ‘new water’ is leading to their reservoirs running low, they say.

The ‘new water’ project is an effort by the Water Services Corporation to treat wastewater by removing bacteria, chemicals and pollutants and redistributing it for use in the agriculture and industrial sectors.

There are currently three plants producing this treated water: Ta’ Barkat, in Xgħajra, Ras il-Ħobż, in Għajnsielem and Taċ-Ċumnija, in Mellieħa. Works on the distribution network from these plants are still under way.

When asked, WSC said that, in January, Ta’ Barkat produced 36,661 m3, which dropped to 17,668 m3 in February.

Farmers in the southern region, who are serviced from the Ta’ Barkat plant, say they have experienced reservoirs running low for over a month. Their concerns are mounting as the days get longer and the weather warmer.

“In the beginning, around five years ago, the plant was working day and night with no trouble. We would have to shut the water off there was so much of it,” said one flower grower, who asked not to be named.

“But in the last two years, things started to go downhill. There were several outages at the plant and it would not produce for months.

“The distribution system is also a bit unfair because it’s a bit of a first-come, first-served scenario that leaves those whose fields are farther away out in the cold.”

Another man, a vegetable vendor, said the system had been devised to save groundwater and that the treated water provided was perfect for the crops and “as good as rain”.

Without water, there is no life

However, he stressed that now was a crucial time for water as the days start to get hotter.

“The sector really needs this. Water is crucial for farming and, if they don’t take care of it, we’re going to have to find other solutions,” he said.

“It would be better if they gave us no subsidies at all and just focused on giving us the water. We need good water to work as without water, there is no life.”

A third farmer said that one solution would be to install a reverse osmosis system to water their crops but this would come with its own drawbacks.

“Apart from the fact that it would run me up a huge power bill, with an RO, only a fourth of the water is usable,” he said.

“There is no guidance on how to dispose of the wastewater from an RO, which is a huge headache. Besides, once I install it, I would have to keep using it to recoup my expenses, so I hope the situation doesn’t get to that point.”

All farmers spoke on condition of anonymity.

Malcolm Borg, from Għaqda Bdiewa Attivi, said farmers needed long-term planning for their water supply and a clear idea of the quantity and quality of the resources at their disposal.

“New water has been crucial for farmers that receive it in that its quality for farming is very good and the supply was consistent,” he said.

“But, in the case of the Żabbar farmers, this consistency has been cut short. The quality of the groundwater might not be adequate for the crops they grow so they cannot switch to groundwater.

“All the planning and strategies of these farmers in these past years were based on the assumption that they would have this new water. But now they don’t.

“They might have in the future but who knows? And will they have enough? These uncertainties are detrimental to an agricultural enterprise and can make the difference between success or failure.”

In reply to questions by Times of Malta, a spokesperson for WSC said the new water system in the south was still under construction as per the project time frames set out in the EU funding application and were on track to be completed by the end of the year.

The spokesperson added that while outages at Ta’ Barkat were “not frequent”, disruptions, such as the dumping of animal farm waste and illegal discharges, were dealt with through appropriate measures to ensure the smooth functioning of the system.

“Our team is constantly working to ensure that the water supply is reliable and uninterrupted.”

Asked about a projected card distribution system, which would allow farmers to obtain their own water from strategic locations, the spokesperson said a tender had been issued and discussions on the design were in their final stages.

The system is expected to be “fully operational” by the end of the year.

While the supply declined from January to February, in 2022, Ta’ Barkat produced 24 per cent more new water than it had the year before, WSC said.