[WATCH] Ta’ Barkat sewage treatment plant back online after illegal dumping shut down

Ta' Barkat sewage treatment plant back online

Operations at Ta’ Barkat sewage plant have been restored, with the process to clean up the sewage gallery leading to the plant having been completed three days ahead of schedule.

The plant was forced to shut down on Wednesday when animal waste that was illegally dumped into the public sewage system.

In a statement on Friday, the Water Services Corporation said the treatment process is currently being stabilised, and its New Water supply should be restored by tomorrow.

The operation involved a clean up of the sewage gallery leading to the plant, the emptying and cleanup of the receiving pumping station and its five two meter high pumps, the deblocking of the fine screening equipment, and a general cleanup of other areas that received such waste.

No damage to core plant infrastructure was sustained, with the screening equipment having served its purpose, the WSC said.

Tonnes of material were removed in the cleaning process, it said.

WSC CEO Richard Bilocca thanked the Barkat sewage plant team who restored operations in no time, as well as the deep sewer section for cleaning up the gallery, pumping station and adjoining areas. Such tasks are laborious and extremely dangerous, he added.