Expert locates faulty 'forgotten' old main sewer

The drainage problem at Balluta Bay was caused by a fault in an old main sewer that had been "forgotten" when a new sewage master plan for the area was drawn up over 10 years ago, a court heard yesterday.

Court expert Valerio Schembri was testifying before Magistrate Jacqueline Padovani in a case initiated last month by the Health Department against Water Services Corporation (WSC) chairman Michael Falzon.

The corporation is being accused of allowing a stoppage in a main sewer that led to drainage seeping into Balluta Bay, 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.

Both parties agreed in court last Tuesday that the main problem stemmed from a particular manhole especially after tests confirmed that the leakage originated from there. However, the Health Department claimed this manhole, that was filled with drainage, fell under the WSC's responsibility. The WSC insisted the manhole did not feature on their maps and it was likely to be a water culvert and not used for drainage purposes.

The magistrate had then ordered Mr Schembri to examine the manhole and report on his findings.

He explained that officials from the Health Department and the WSC had cooperated to find a solution to the situation. They worked long hours and overnight to inspect the manhole. When they opened the manhole they found it was an old main sewer that branched in various parts of Balluta. It was not listed in the WSC's maps because it had been forgotten, he said.

In 1995 a new sewage master plan for the area had been implemented and that was when this old main sewer must have been erased from the maps.

Mr Schembri added that some 50 tankers-full of drainage had been removed from the manhole. This allowed workers to get a clearer look into the main sewer.

He believed the situation ought to be analysed further before the old sewer was closed for good. It had to be ensured that no households were connected to it. The sewer was expected to be inspected again last night.

The case was put off for Wednesday.

Principal Health Inspectors John Attard Kingswell and Malcolm David Micallef are prosecuting.

Lawyer Guido Pace Spadaro is representing the WSC.