The Water Services Corporation was dependant on electricity, which in turn relied on the volatility of the heavy fuel oil market. If Enemalta were to collapse this would be reflected on the water services workings, according to Marlene Pullicino, the opposition’s main spokesperson on utilities.

The Water Services Corporation had to find alternative ways to supply water, she argued. Much still needed to be done in order to enhance the existing system to be able to supply water, if the volatility of the heavy fuel oil market lands Malta in a difficult position.

Referring to the Ta’ Barkat sewage plant project, Dr Pullicino said she was pleased it was working properly but there was a need to go a step forward: since clean water was being discharged into the sea, a further use for this second class water had to be found.

The amount and quality of aquifers have been drastically reduced and these now needed replenishment.

Foreign investors usually took note of the state of water and electricity in a country before deciding to relocate their businesses. Because these were running costs, they would either make a country attractive or otherwise for foreign investments. One had to decide whether the corporation was to accept the fact that the aquifers had almost dried up, or enhance the infrastructure to be able to collect water from valleys and channel it into the aquifers.

While major road projects had lately been undertaken, the water catchment project was still a far cry from completion. This project had been mentioned numerous times before the last election, but had been altered after the election.

In this respect, water recycling plants were not being exploited enough and the corporation still did not possess ownership of the existing cisterns in villages which could easily be used as national storage facilities.

The European Court of Justice had requested Malta how it was planning to monitor the use and wastage of water. However, the required answer was not presented on time to the EU. This was a shameful, she said.

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