Boreholes to be metered by year's end
The government has issued a legal notice providing that all boreholes have to be metered by the end of the year in order to ensure better monitoring of groundwater extraction.
Owners have a month within which to apply for the installation of a meter, which will cost €765 and will be installed by officials from the Water Services Corporation.Farmers will also be required to install meters on their boreholes, although in this case the cost is expected to be subsidised by the government.
Agriculture used around 19.1 million cubic metres of water, mostly extracted from the ground, in one year between September 2008 and 2009.
In contrast, last year the Water Services Corporation extracted only 12.7 million cubic meters of groundwater for distribution as tap water. Another 16.6 million cubic metres were produced by reverse osmosis plants.
Information provided by the WSC shows agriculture was only billed for the use of 0.3 million cubic metres in 2008, which means the sector was almost exclusively dependent on groundwater extracted privately at no cost.
NSO officials said the amount of water used by agriculture was an estimate and depended a lot on climatic conditions. The year in review had been characterised by unusually high temperatures and low rainfall.
Resources Minister George Pullicino had promised that groundwater extraction would be metered by year's end so that the authorities could have a clear picture of the amount extracted and from which areas.
Hydrologist Marco Cremona had told a conference on climate change earlier this year that unless Malta reduced its dependence on aquifers, groundwater sources may vanish in the next 15 years.
Former WSC chairman Tancred Tabone was less optimistic when he said in an interview in January that Malta would run out of water in "about five years".
Fresh water reserves are not regulated and there are no restrictions on their use by private individuals or economic operators.
Last year The Sunday Times had revealed that bottled water producers did not have a licence to exploit this public resource.
The Malta Resources Authority had confirmed that reverse osmosis plants operated by bottlers required water extracted from the aquifer, placing more pressure on the fresh water supply.
"So far, water extracted from the aquifer is free... Industry and commercial enterprise take a substantial share of this precious resource," an MRA spokesman had said, insisting there was no data to determine the amount of water being extracted.
It is only the WSC that is authorised to harness the nation's freshwater supply for public consumption.
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Joesph Borg
Apr 29th 2010, 10:13
The Minister concerned and the Maltese public will get a big surprise when these boreholes get metered. No one can imagine the millions of gallons of water that are being pumped out from the 5-7 boreholes that there are at the Royal Malta Golf Club. Can someone imagine how much water do one need to water such a big area ? Irrigation is wall to wall on the golf course. The irony is that these boreholes were drilled with the blessing of the Board of Management, Captains and all commitees concerned, past and present and they all boost about it. You'd better starting saving money for future bills then !!!!!!!!
John Inguanez
Apr 29th 2010, 09:32
The important thing is that those using boreholes must pay because every other domestic consumer pays for his water bills. It is unfair and unjust and someone pumps water and then sells without paying anything to the state. The same applies to some commercial companies who sells bottled water extracted from underground sources.
Joe Aquilina
Apr 29th 2010, 08:17
Will there be a difference between farmer's boreholes that have been there for years and years and ones dug recently for bowsers and water suppliers? Once the meters are put on what charge is there going to be for the metered water ? Will there be a difference between agricultural use and water pumped up for business?
P. Farrugia
Apr 29th 2010, 08:06
Can someone explain how is it they know how much water is extracted by farmers and at the same time want meters to be installed? Most agiricultural pumps can be easily metered as they have dedicated metered 3 phase supply making it quite easy to get data by taking one time reading (to see pump flow) and then just check the elec bill. this would avoid the hich cost of the meter. Hopefully this is not a first step to eventually increase burden to farmers most of which are simply fighting for survival; after all the final product is food for the Maltese and not a cool swimming pool for a millionare. Significant amount of water pumped into the fields may also be eventually going back to the water table and so data cannot be accurate; not even with meters. Decision to subsidise the meter has been a good step though we need to see by how much.
tony abela
Apr 29th 2010, 07:09
While I fully agree that everybody should pay to use the common natural resources, there is a big difference when water is used for agriculture, that is irrigation. I assume that some of the irrigation water goes back to the water table, except the portion which is evaported by the sun. The Government can do much more to help this issue by taking steps to stop rain water running off to the sea for example.
Vincent Scerri
Apr 29th 2010, 02:39
Xi kemm il-miljun Ewro bieghu il-produtturi tal-ilma sal lum?
Martin Chetcuti
Apr 28th 2010, 20:41
ABOUT TIME!!! However better late then never.
Charles Micallef
Apr 28th 2010, 20:24
It is about high time that the "explotation of this national resource by the ones who can afford to pay" is curbed....!
Andrew Gatt
Apr 28th 2010, 20:22
Suffferin' succcotash!! Sumfink's finally being done!
And it's about bloody time too. The way some commentators bang on and on and on about hunting, you'd think that's all the environment is about.
david farrugia
Apr 28th 2010, 20:21
metering the boreholes won't solve the problem. It's so easy to dig one that it easy to have one borehole metered and others fresh ones illegally dug thereby.