The Resources Ministry has launched a consultation document on a proposed water policy for Malta.

Addressing a news conference this afternoon, Resources Minister George Pullicino said the aims of the policy included to reduce demand and water waste, improve quality by reducing ground water extraction, reduce pollution and ensure good quality water, encourage people to harvest their own rain water, adapt to climate change, and manage floods.

Malta, the minister said, hoped to be the first EU country in the Mediterranean which treated all its sewage before this was disposed into the sea and which recycled water waste for agriculture and industry.

The government, he said, was also in discussions with the Malta Resources Authority to see how to create fiscal incentives to encourage people to start reusing wells and rectify mistakes of past by enforcing the law which stated that new buildings had to have wells.

All proposals in the document, Mr Pullicino said, were backed scientifically.

In drawing it up, discussions were held with the British Geographical Society and the French Environment Ministry.

Mr Pullicino pointed out that ground water extraction for potable purposes has been reduced by half since 1987 and water leakages along the distribution system were reduced substantially. While before 2004 around 1,000 cubic metres per hour were lost due to leakages, this amount was reduced to around 400 cubic metres per hour by 2009. All this was due to the investment which was carried out by the government.

He called on the opposition to give consolidated feedback on the document during the consultation process and not after.

Consultation will be going on until mid-September and comments can be e-mailed to info@mrra.gov.mt.

The document will be available online on the ministry’s website.

www.mrra.gov.mt