[WATCH] Selected households to get plumbing upgrades as government launches nationwide campaign

Two hundred and fifty households will benefit from free physical improvements to their appliances and plumbing as part of an awareness campaign to promote water efficiency.

There will be a call for applications for the scheme, for which everyone can apply. Around 250 households, five public offices and 50 agricultural activities will then be selected.

This is one scheme of a new national water conservation campaign which aims to trigger a cultural shift in people’s behaviour towards water conservation in Malta.

The Water Be the Change campaign’s objective is to educate people and raise their level of awareness when it comes to the optimised and efficient use of water resources.

The campaign, announced today by Water Minister Joe Mizzi, will run over three years and will target the domestic, commercial and agricultural sectors. It is being part-financed by the EU and will require a €14 million investment.

Mizzi said the campaign’s chief goal was to raise awareness on water consumption and conservation across all sectors of society.

It will also involve the distribution of water saving kits – made up of five gadgets – to all households, which should serve as an aid for better water use.

Moreover, the campaign will make use of a mobile unit which will visit each town and visit in Malta and Gozo, with technical staff engaging with people and providing advice on how water can be used effectively in the home.

Water and Energy Minister Joe Mizzi announcing the launch of the Water Be the Change campaign

Energy and Water Agency CEO Manuel Sapiano said this “road show”, which will take place over two years, is meant to engage people and demonstrate to them that they could play a key role in saving water.

Regarding the scheme for households, public offices and agricultural activities, Sapiano said that there will be a call for application, which everyone is invited to apply for. Those selected will then benefit from interventions including the change of water-use points to make them more efficient, the retro-fitting of water-saving devices on appliances, and water well and plumbing repairs and plumbing.

Sapiano emphasised that the campaign was necessary due to the increased pressures placed on the supply of water due to the increasing population and expanding economy. These two factors led to a rise in the demand for water, he said.

Studies have shown that the shower and toilet flushing were the biggest consumers of water in households, he said.

One of the important causes behind the increased demand, Sapiano highlighted, was that people tended to spend longer in the shower than needed. Ideally, a shower should be five minutes long, he said, and were the average showers be kept to this length, six billion litres of water a year would be reduced. This would decrease the country’s energy demands by 3% a year, he noted.

“This shows how a small change can have a big effect if it is undertaken by many people,” Sapiano said, “The point of the campaign is that what the individual does is important.”

Mizzi said it was important that everyone did their part to contribute to the campaign.

“The campaign aims to provide to everyone the information needed to take action when it comes to the efficient use of water,” the minister said.

“Together, we can make a big difference in the way water is used in Malta.”

Mizzi also underlined that, apart from the campaign, the Għajn Centre, run by the Energy and Water Agency, was providing students with knowledge on the use of water.

More information on the campaign can be found at www.water.org.mt.