Health, WSC seek solution to situation of 'high peril'

Officials from the Health Department and the Water Services Corporation yesterday met in court and discussed the best way forward to solve the Balluta Bay drainage situation, which a magistrate described as one "of high peril".

They met before Magistrate Jacqueline Padovani during a health sitting case initiated last month by the Health Department against WSC chairman Michael Falzon.

The corporation, which is in charge of drainage, is being accused of allowing a stoppage in a main sewer that led to drainage seeping into Balluta Bay in St Julians. The bay was closed for bathing on August 13 when drainage was noticed leaking into the sea. It was reopened on August 29 after tests showed it was safe again. But on September 4, the Health Department issued another warning closing the bay to bathers.

Following a court sitting on Friday the magistrate had adjourned the case to October 2. But yesterday the two parties convened in court for an urgent sitting since the situation at Balluta Bay was getting worse.

Principal Health Inspector Malcolm David Micallef explained that, since last Friday's sitting, the department had received various complaints about the "unbearable stench" at Balluta Bay. Residents also said that the situation was the worst at night. The department carried out several tests in the area and felt that, since the situation seemed to be getting worse, it was best to ask for a court sitting with urgency.

Mr Micallef and WSC's lawyer Guido Pace Spadaro agreed that the main problem was a particular manhole as the Health Department claimed it was filled with drainage and was the WSC's responsibility. On the other hand the WSC claimed that this manhole was not on their maps and it was likely to be a water culvert and not used for drainage.

Health Department officials Malcolm Vella Haber and John Seychell took the witness stand and explained how the department had been monitoring the situation on a daily basis. During an inspection, on September 6, they noted that the stench was unbearable and the sea was brown. Sample tests indicated a very high level of contamination.

The following day the department decided to carry out an inspection in the evening with the cooperation of WSC officials.

In the sea they saw raw sewage and bits of toilet paper. They moved on to inspect the manholes and a tunnel in the area. Although the Health Department insisted that there was stoppage in the manholes, the WSC claimed there was no stoppage.

They added that when they inspected one particular manhole - which the WSC claimed was a water culvert as it was not on their maps - they noted that it was full of drainage and air bubbles indicated that air was seeping in from somewhere.

Next, the department threw green dye into this manhole. About 10 minutes later the dye made its way into the sea and also in the tunnel.

Magistrate Padovani said that this was a case of "high peril" and she wanted to ensure that not a day more went by that things were left in such a state.

The next step, she ruled, was to carry out an extensive examination to determine what was leading to the leakage. The Health Department and the WSC then held a discussion to find a way forward as they both maintained that their main concern was to solve this public health hazard.

She ruled that regular court sittings would be held to ensure the problem was being addressed with urgency.