A plant which will purify sewage water and supply it to farmers as 'new' water has been inaugurated in Xgħajra.

The €10m facility, paid for from EU funds, will help some 600 farmers water their fields in the south of Malta.

The facility will receive 80 per cent of Malta's sewage and treat it in three stages to a standard which will make it good enough for irrigation and for use by some industrial firms. 

Energy and Water Minister Joe Mizzi thanked the Water Services Corporation for its work on the project, saying the latest technology was being used.  

The plant is the third in the Maltese islands, and by far the biggest.

The first was set up at Taċ-Ċumnija near Anchor Bay in Mellieħa and the second in Gozo, both earlier this year. The first supplies 200 farmers, and the second 400.

READ: Farmers anxious for irrigation water from sewage

Mr Mizzi said the water quality was rigorously tested to ensure that produce was of high quality. 

Those present for the inauguration included Parliamentary Secretary Clint Camilleri, who is responsible for agriculture. He welcomed the project and said it would ease problems caused by inadequate rainfall.

Parliamentary Secretary Aaron Farrugia said €14 million in EU funds had been allocated for such projects.