AI allows WSC to recover €1 million from 100 cases of illegal water use

The Water Services Corporation is drafting a new law aimed at ensuring clean wastewater flow – chiefly sewage from businesses discharged at source – across Malta’s network.

The proposed law will regulate what is discharged at source by businesses owners to prevent illegal substances from entering the wastewater network.

Over 100 cases of illegal water use were resolved, recovering €1 million in lost revenue through AI modelling, CEO Karl Cilia said, in a presentation of the WSC’s national investment plan, tagged at €310.5 million, of which €126m is co-financed by the EU.

The WSC is implementing cutting-edge Augmented Reality (AR) technology to map underground water and wastewater services, saving the need for road excavation.

The technology allows the corporation to inspect and monitor buried pipelines and infrastructure with minimal disruption to the public.

“By creating a realtime digital model of underground services, WSC can carry out maintenance more efficiently and accurately,” Cilia said.

In addition, WSC is using AI technology for real-time water management, particularly in chlorine dosing and water blending across its network to help maintain water quality. “Our National Investment Plan is designed to secure a future where water services are efficient, environmentally responsible, and meet the evolving needs of our society,” Cilia said.

The WSC has increased its network efficiency to 72%, a notable improvement from 52% in 2011, with a leakage index of 9.5% of water production, down from 13% in 2013.

The WSC bills over 26.5 million cubic metres of water, which grew 9% between 2022 and 2023, a consumption that netted it €6.2 million in profits, and an 11.8% revenue growth.

Key upgrades by the WSC include 100km of water network upgrades, €102.5 million in ongoing implementation, and €6.85 million in current works and €6.5 million in recently completed projects.