Authorities are testing water samples from Balluta Bay after reports that several children at San Ġiljan Waterpolo Club fell ill in recent days, but the club has received assurances that the seawater is safe for bathing.
The waterpolo club confirmed that it had spoken to health authorities after a number of its young players fell ill, with parents reporting their children suffering from stomach bugs and ear infections.
A health ministry spokesman told Times of Malta in response to questions only that water samples had been taken for testing.
In a separate response to queries from the club, authorities said the area was routinely monitored for water quality, and had been determined to be fit for bathing.
Parents raised concerns on Facebook after a video posted on a residents’ group last Thursday showed what appeared to be a murky outflow in the sea right beside the waterpolo club.
St Julian’s mayor Albert Buttigieg told Times of Malta the outflow was a one-off incident which appeared to be linked to cleaning works being carried out that day at a construction site on nearby Birkirkara Hill.
The mayor said it was not clear how the water had ended up in the sea.
There is nothing to suggest the incident is related to the illnesses at the waterpolo club.