Order is issued to close 200 household boreholes
Meters on domestic, commercial boreholes
People who drilled boreholes illegally in their backyards and registered them with the government in recent years have finally been given a warning to close them within 60 days.
The Malta Resources Authority issued enforcement letters to 200 households saying the boreholes must be “closed, sealed and decommissioned” in accordance with a number of requirements.
“Each person notified has to submit a declaration and a detailed method statement certified by an architect within 60 days from the date of the letter, confirming that this groundwater source has been closed in accordance with these technical requirements,” the MRA told The Times.
The authority may also carry out inspections and verifications on site to confirm that the groundwater source has been closed in accordance with this formal notice.
The government’s decision was welcomed by water expert Marco Cremona who has been campaigning against the illegal extraction of water for years. He said this was a “courageous” and “positive” move by the government, showing that concrete action was finally being taken.
Malta has a notoriously vulnerable groundwater system after decades of illegal borehole drilling and water extraction. Most of the hundreds of registered domestic boreholes are used to fill private swimming pools or water large gardens.
Since 1997, starting under a Labour government, there has been a drive to register domestic, commercial and agricultural boreholes with the intention of clamping down on abuse. The government continued this drive during this legislature.
Although many borehole owners had thought that registering their source of water would have given them the chance to keep it, the government’s intention to close down domestic boreholes was made clear in Legal Notice 241 published exactly a year ago.
Meanwhile the government has also been working to place meters on the thousands of other boreholes used for commercial and agricultural purposes. In this way it will establish how much water is extracted and establish a clear way forward, in line with its water policy.