Malta is a semi-arid country located in the centre of the Mediterranean Sea. The scarcity of water has always been an issue since documented history and meeting the demand for both municipal water supply as well as the needs of the agricultural and commercial sectors has always provided an important challenge.
However, this challenge has also provided Malta with an opportunity to diversify and further develop its water supply infrastructure. This can be highlighted by the introduction of sea-water desalination technology in the 1980’s, and the continued improvement of the operational efficiency of these desalination plants. Today, sea-water desalination reliably provides around 60% of the municipal water supply, and has therefore become an important water resource to ensure the sustainability of Malta’s water supply.
The New Water Project
The project which is now well underway involved the development of three water polishing plants which upgrade the quality of treated water from the islands’ three Urban Wastewater Treatment Plants (UWWTPs) to irrigation standards. The three polishing are therefore located within the footprint of the UWWTPs at Ras il –Hobz (Ghajnsielem) in Gozo, Tac-Cumnija (Mellieha) in the North of Malta and Ta’ Barkat (Xghajra) in the south of Malta.
The major one in Ta’ Barkat in the south of Malta can produce 9,600 cubic metres per day. The plants at IcCumnija in the north of Malta and in Ras il-Hobz in Gozo have a capacity of 6,400 and 3,200 cubic metres per day respectively. These plants can reach a total production volume of 7,000,000m3 per year. Our aim is to achieve a ‘net zeroimpact’ on the natural water cycle, whereby groundwater being abstracted will be replaced, directly or indirectly, by means of a number of measures, including the production and subsequent delivery of new water.
