32m cubic metres of water produced in 12 months

Water production in Malta and Gozo amounted to almost 32 million cubic metres between August 2001 and July 2002, the National Statistics Office said.

The Pembroke RO plant produced 10.4 million cubic metres of water, or 33 per cent of the total amount.

Maximum production in the Pembroke plant - 1.1 million cubic metres - resulted in July 2002, whereas minimum production - 683,821 cubic metres - were produced in February of that year.

Production from pumping stations is next in line, yielding 8.7 million cubic metres, or 27 per cent of the global amount of water produced.

Here the maximum production - 833,380 cubic metres - occurred in March 2002, as opposed to the least production - 610,896 cubic metres in September 2001. Boreholes produce almost five million cubic metres of water or 16 per cent of the global production.

This source is followed by the production of almost four million cubic metres of water, or 12 per cent of the total water production, by the Cirkewwa RO plant.

Lapsi RO plant produces 11.7 per cent or 3.7 million cubic metres of water.

Springs produce minimal amounts of potable water.

The NSO said that a global amount of more than 34 million cubic metres of water was consumed in the Maltese islands. Actually 92.6 per cent of this figure was demanded by the island of Malta.

The sister island of Gozo consumed 2.5 million cubic metres or 7.5 per cent of the total amount consumed.

In Malta the highest consumption period was July 2002 - when 2.9 million cubic metres of water were consumed - whilst in Gozo, August 2001 reflected the maximum amount of water consumption - 271,686 cubic metres.

The total consumption including both Malta and Gozo saw its peak in July 2002 when 3.2 million cubic metres of water were consumed.

Although consumption exceeded production during this period, the difference is accounted for by water reserves.