Farmers in the south of Malta get full access to 'new water'

Farmers in the south of Malta will now have access to high-quality water from the newly-unveiled water polishing plant at Ta' Barkat in Xghajra.

'New water' is polished treated sewage water that can be re-used for agricultural purposes, and is also supplied to farmers in the north of Malta from the Cumnija plant in Mellieha.

Another was inaugurated in July 2018 at Ras il-Hobz in Gozo to supply water to the farming community in Malta’s sister island.

Treated sewage from the Water Services Corporation’s three sewage treatment plants that was previously discharged at sea is now pumped to new tertiary treatment polishing plants. The water is solely intended for agricultural purposes.

The plants were constructed with €20 million in EU and national funds to process sewage and treat it to very stringent quality standards, what is now termed new water.

Energy minister Joe Mizzi, who unveiled the Ta' Barkat plant, explained the sophisticated additional microfiltration, reverse osmosis and advanced oxidisation processes ensure complete security of the finished product.

Mizzi said that farmers’ consumption of new water was so far very encouraging and that substantial gains in the yield and quality of local produce have been achieved. "This government is determined to continue supporting this vital sector," Mizzi said.

WSC Chief Executive Officer Richard Bilocca thanked the corporation’s workforce who over the last few months worked relentlessly to be in a position to reach this very important milestone. "Detailed plans to expand the current distribution network to cover far larger areas in the south and southwestern parts of Malta are in hand, and tenders will be issued in the coming weeks. The Water Services Corporation has worked on the concept of providing a viable, high-quality alternative to groundwater abstraction for many years."