Gozo's odourless sewage treatment plant inaugurated

Gozo's odourless €7.2 million (Lm3.09 million) sewage treatment plant, which will replace the island's four sewage outflows, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi yesterday.

The plant at Ras il-Ħobż, on the outskirts of Għajnsielem, will treat all Gozo's sewage and replace the outfalls at San Blas, Wied l-Għasri and Mġarr ix-Xini, as well as Wied il-Mielaħ which will be connected soon.

Fifty-one per cent of the project was financed by the EU's pre-accession funds.

A call for tenders had been issued in April 2004 but work could only start two years later due to problems with permits and a court case. The completion target date, which had been set for September 30, 2007, was overrun by 40 days. The plant has been operational since last November.

Dr Gonzi said that his Government's vision for Gozo was to make the island an environmental gem after hundreds of years of pumping raw sewage into the sea.

Investments Minister Austin Gatt described yesterday's event as a new development in the history of the Water Services Corporation, which was in charge of drainage and the country's infrastructure.

For the first time, sewage was being treated and recycled and second class water suitable for farmers could also be produced.

Dr Gatt said that the available EU funds had been used well, except for some €200,000 (Lm85,860) incurred because of delays. Such figures were now being claimed from contractors.

The minister said the project was a good example of how private/public partnerships could work efficiently. The plant will be run by the contractor for the first five years during which it would pass on its know-how to the WSC.

Overall, more than €100 million (Lm42.93 million) was being invested in drainage infrastructure.

Besides the Gozo plant, another was being developed in the north of Malta to treat the drainage in that part of the island, and a tunnel was being built between Marsa and Ricasoli to take drainage to the third plant to be built at Ta' Bakret, close to Smart City.

This plant, which will be seven times bigger than Gozo's would treat 80 per cent of the country's sewage.