WSC to launch €3m sewage network upgrade project at Wied Iz-Żurrieq
Boatmen had complained of sewage seepage into the sea
The Water Services Corporation is embarking on a €3m project to upgrade the sewage system in Wied Iz-Żurrieq, an area which still uses cesspits, Environment and Energy Minister Miriam Dalli said on Wednesday.
Her announcement came a month after Times of Malta reported complaints by boatmen about sewage trickling down to the sea, creating a foul stench where people queue to buy tickets for the Blue Grotto boat rides, as well as health concerns.
Dalli told parliament during a debate on the estimates of the WSC that the project would be carried out in phases, given the relatively long distances.
In her address the minister spoke glowingly about the corporation’s performance, saying that consumers were now getting the best ever water in their taps both in terms of quality and taste, while wastage through leakages in the distribution system were among the lowest in Europe, at 1.75% according to the European Leakage Index.
A culture change was now needed for the people to buy less bottled water and use tap water, with carbon filters to improve taste if they preferred. Increased use of tap water would save them money and save the environment the problem of plastic bottles disposal, the minister said.
She observed that the WSC was also doing well financially, raising its net profit by 16.6% last year without raising tariffs.
Groundwater extraction reduced
Capital investment was also up, by a substantial 74%, as the distribution network continued to be improved and expansion was made in water production plants. As a result of the latter investment, groundwater extraction had been reduced to 30% of total production from 40%. The rest came from reverse osmosis plants.
Dalli also praised the WSC for its sustainability, noting that last year it produced 5,85 gwh of clean energy, the equivalent power consumption of 2000 families. This was a process which would continue, she said, with more investment in solar farms on the corporation’s facilities.
Dalli said a silent revolution was underway in the production of New Water – wastewater that is treated and used for farming. There was increased demand for the service, she said, and production, as well as a separate distribution network, were growing gradually. This was important for farmers, she said. It also saved water, a significant issue where climate change was concerned.
The minister said that the WSC would continue to invest further to reduce groundwater extraction by improving production at the Pembroke and Ċirkewwa reverse osmosis plants while taking proactive action to improve the distribution network before problems developed.
Shadow Minister Ryan Callus raised concerns about sewage seepage in various properties.
He welcomed efforts to reduce water wastage in the distribution network and underlined the importance of quick action whenever faults developed. In this context, he said, it was important for the WSC to continue to invest in real-time monitoring so that leakages were immediately detected. With more than 9,400 leakage reports made by consumers last year, the WSC should give a breakdown of what its response time was.
Callus said the Opposition supported the campaign to encourage people to drink tap water. People needed to be convinced that tap water was of good quality, more so when carbon filters were installed to improve taste. Increased use of tap water also meant reduced use of single-use plastic bottles.
He said further efforts should be made to reduce groundwater extraction. While a mixture of RO and groundwater remained necessary, the less use of the latter, the better to protect the water table.
The authorities should also consider how to better direct stormwater runoff so that it could eventually be stored and used as second-class water. Incentives should be introduced to encourage people to store and use rainwater that fell on their properties, for example, in their flushings. Such incentives should be similar to those for solar heating, for example.
He said the New Water distribution network should be expanded beyond the immediate area of the sewage treatment plants.
It was shameful, he said, that Malta had lost its reputation in the area of sewage water disposal in the sea and problems needed to be addressed.
Concluding Callus warned against employment irregularities by the WSC and said contractors should not be used as a screen for the recruitment process not to be transparent.