A technology that identifies water losses, including thefts, has been piloted by the Water Services Corporation.

In a statement on Thursday the WSC said this had so far been tested in two specific water zones and the results were very encouraging. "The Corporation can now trace perpetrators remotely and systematically."

So far, water theft prevention was a very laborious task that involved extensive investigations and human resources.

The project involves the use of new technologies on the ground that feed remote algorithms that are capable of pinpointing perpetrators.

A particular case identified through this system involved an individual who was stealing around 35% of the total water fed into a specific Gozitan village.

Evidence was being formalised and all such cases would be forwarded to the police for further action.

Over the next months, the technology used for this pilot would continue to be spread across Malta and Gozo.