A scheme to encourage the restoration of wells in households has been launched by the Malta Resources Authority.

A budget of €100,000 is being allocated for the scheme and the government will be offering up to 50 per cent of the total expenses eligible for the works, not more than €1,000, as well as certification fees up to a maximum of €100.

All plumbing expenses related to the setting up of a separate system for second class water could be considered part of the eligible expenses.

The works have to be recommended by an architect in the first stage of the application and certified once the restoration is complete.

The architect has to document the damage with photos before the work is done.

Applications have to be submitted between October 22 and the end of December. The scheme will closed earlier if the allocated funds are used up. Applications will be treated on a first come first served bases.

MRA permanent Secretary Mario Rogers said the Malta Council for Science and Technology was currently researching a method for the harvesting of rainwater for houses without wells.

Currently only 13 per cent of rain water was being harvested.

But if all houses had a well that could take 25 cubic metres, Malta would harvest some 4.5 million cubic metres of water each year. This, Mr Rogers said, would make up 25 per cent of the country's demand for second class water.