A nationwide system to test the quality of Malta’s groundwater is to monitor 14 agricultural sites across the country, in an attempt to better understand what farming practices are most sustainable.
The monitoring system is the first of its kind across Europe and is being piloted by the Energy and Water Agency in collaboration with private company Sensoil, which created the technology that will be used to monitor groundwater quality. The project is part-funded through EU Cohesion Funds.
Sensoil is an Israel-registered company founded in 2013 to commercialise sub-soil monitoring technologies developed at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Israel. The company says its systems have been installed and applied in over 100 sites including in the EU, USA, China, Australia and Africa.
The water monitoring system will analyse the quality of the groundwater at agricultural sites which are farmed in different ways, to allow analysts to compare the effects of different agricultural practices on groundwater quality.
Monitoring stations will check water quality as it descends through the soil and rocks before reaching underground water tables, monitoring pollution levels along the way.
Authorities hope the monintoring will provide valuable insight into the best time and method for farmers to apply fertilisers to their crops, leading to more sustainable practices.
Malta’s groundwater bodies are in poor shape, with the Eropean Environment Agency listing Malta as one of the three EU member states where groundwater reserves are fast drying up. According to the World Resource Institute, Malta is among the world’s most water-stressed countries.
Part of the problem stems from nitrate pollution, which is caused when excess fertilisers leach into groundwater reserves.
Sustainable Development Minister Miriam Dalli said that the monitoring project was in line with the United Nations’ sustainable development target concerning water management, and emphasised the importance of having more research on the topic.
“This project will help farmers to identify water contamination, and this will result in better quality water with an immediate effect,” she said.
Parliamentary Secretary for European Funds Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi said that around €24 million worth of EU co-financed projects to raise awareness about water and its importance were currently underway.