|
James Debono
The Malta Environment and Planning Authority has approved a waste water treatment plant which will only serve to dump 7,400 cubic metres of water into the sea until a water re-use policy is approved.
Studies say the ic-Cumnija plant, in Mellieha, has a lower potential for water re-use than another proposed site, in Ghallis at Maghtab. It means there is limited potential for the use of recycled water from the plant in its immediate vicinity, because the costs to transport water over a long distance to farmers, limits its use.
According to the environmental impact assessment, farmers will only be willing to use the treated sewage if it is less saline than available ground water, which is not the case for the area surrounding ic-Cumnija.
On Thursday, the MEPA board approved the development of the ic-Cumnija plant. The outcome was a forgone conclusion: the tender for this project had already been already awarded to joint venture IBI Spa and Polidano Brothers on 19 November 2004.
Reacting to concerns expressed during a public hearing in December, where Green Party chairperson Harry Vassallo and engineer Marco Cremona had questioned the choice of the site, the coordinator of the EIA acknowledged that “Ghallis has the best effluent re-use potential, however treated effluent from ic-Cumnija can be utilised in hotels for landscaping and flushing and agriculture.”
The EIA coordinator however justified the choice of the site because of “long stretches of trenching works in arterial and distribution roads,” to redirect the existing infrastructure to Ghallis.
The MEPA case officer also confirmed that constructing the plant at Ghallis would have had had a lower visual impact. MEPA acknowledges that the visual impact of the plant at ic-Cumnija will not be easy to mitigate. Even operational costs would have been lower if the site was located at Ghallis.
Yet the decision to choose ic-Cumnija was taken in view of higher infrastructural costs in redirecting the existent sewerage infrastructure for the north of Malta which is already in place.
It was also revealed that in the absence of a water re-use policy, which is still being drafted, the 7,400 cubic metres of recycled water from the treatment plant will simply be thrown in to the sea.
When the MEPA chairman enquired on the possible re-use of water from ic-Cumnija, a Water Services Corporation representative replied that water would be thrown into the sea “as currently there is no water re-use policy.”
After the policy is drafted, a common trench pressure main could be constructed to redirect water to Ghajn Znuber and Mizieb Valley. But the WSC also said that using this water for agriculture would require further polishing of the water – a costly process – which is not necessary if one dumps simply throws the water in to the sea.
Using the water for an afforestation project in the area is also being considered. But the water is not even deemed suitable for the Ghadira Bird Reserve.
Still in the lack of its re-use, one of the major concerns during the meeting was to ensure that the water which ends up in to the sea does not have any ill effects.
Within a year from the commencement of operations, a report will be drawn up showing whether a submarine outfall would be necessary to ensure that the water thrown in to the sea does not have any negative impact surrounding waters.
If the treated effluent is deemed to have no negative impact on marine life, no such outfall will be developed.
The site will be built on a special area of conservation consisting of garigue, degraded garigue, agricultural land and an illegal rubbish dump. The MEPA case officer revealed that the WSC lacked the funds to rehabilitate the illegal dump as had been originally envisioned. The WSC will only be expected to prepare a method statement for the rehabilitation of the dump. In the end the government will have to fork out the money.
jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt
Links:
www.maltatoday.com.mt/2006/03/05/t17.html
www.maltatoday.com.mt/2005/09/04/top_story.html |
