Fiddien reservoir still cannot be used - Rabat, Dingli water supply being rationed
The Water Services Corporation said today that although its tests showed that the water quality at Fiddien Reservoir is safe, it still cannot use the reservoir because a magistrate has ordered new, independent tests.
As a result, water is being distributed to several areas of Rabat and Dingli on a schedule of a few hours for each zone.
Several readers in the Rabat and Dingli areas have been complained of long water cuts.
The corporation reported last Tuesday that somebody had dumped used engine oil onto the borehole equipment right next to the reservoir. The corporation immediately isolated the borehole from the reservoir and informed the Health Authorities, the Malta Resources Authority and the Police.
The reservoir - one of Malta's biggest - was also isolated from the water distribution network as a precaution.
A series of samples were taken and analysed at the WSC laboratories and other samples were sent abroad for more detailed analysis. In the meantime a magisterial inquiry was launched.
The Corporation’s engineers started to divert water from other areas in order to reduce the effects of this sabotage. However, due to the increased pressures required to pump water from further down the primary network, a large water main near Fiddien burst and it took 12 hours to repair.
Last Friday all tests confirmed that the Fiddien reservoir water was within the EU Drinking Water Directives parameters.
The WSC informed the health authorities for clearance. However, the Health Authorities told the WSC that the Magisterial Inquiry had requested independent tests. The WSC was therefore instructed not to use the Fiddien reservoir water until the Magisterial inquiry is concluded.
The WSC regretted the inconvenience and appealed to anyone who may have information concerning this sabotage to contact the police.
Popular Stories
Update 3: Woman found dead in car,...
Updated: Woman dies in car crash
Carm Mifsud Bonnici resigns after...
Part of Dwejra 'Azure window' collapses
The end of the bar that ‘never closed’
Bundy does not know whether to...
Updated - Jason Micallef demands...
This WAS the night - Kurt makes it...
'No need for early election if PM's...
In Discussion
Updated - Jason Micallef demands...
Gozo tunnel could take 5-7 years to...
CABS remote controlled aircraft shot...
Carm Mifsud Bonnici resigns after...
Joseph Calleja condemns portrayal of...
Updated: Labour would give...
CABS drone shot down
Second group of migrants arrives
Adrian Vassallo in scathing...
36 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
Romina Bruno Arnaud
Aug 3rd 2011, 22:12
Naqbel perfettament ma Kurt Mifsud, vera li din id darba saret xi tip ta vendikazzjoni pero fi 13-il sena li ilni noqghod l-Imtarfa dejjem nafni bil problema. Nqum filghodu u nitlob li nsib l-ilma, inkun qed inaddaf u f'daqqa wahda bla ilma....... Ktibt ittri kemm il darba, WSC iwahhlu fl enemalta ghax imur id dawl tal pompa u enemalta twahhal fil WSC ghax jekk mar l-ilma lil tal ilma irrid incempel. Hemm xi ministru jew xi ras kbira titla toqghod hawn fuq forsi xi darba jittrangaw l affarijiet????? Vera tal misthija....Ha titnaqqasli il meter rent minn fuq il kont jew kollox lejhom jigbdu........Imxebba
Godfrey Cassar
Aug 2nd 2011, 07:13
Can a cctv camera be installed so we may catch this culprit. ! week with water shortages is enough. We have to have all the plates and floor early morning to catch up before the water supply is closed.
Ed Camilleri
Aug 2nd 2011, 00:02
I have decided to count the number of days when our water supply is cut off__ and this amounts to a substantial number of days annually. I will be deducting the corresponding "meter rent" from the bill I receive; I am QUITE sure ARMS should find no objection to this, because it is only fair....
Mr Jimmy Magro
Aug 1st 2011, 23:53
Insread of putting speed cameras to collect more and more money, CCTV should be installed in such assets of national importance. Water is one of the scarcest resources and costs more than whisky to produce. Yet there are no security provisions, no risk assessements are made and no emergency plans are in place.
Mr Jowey Brownie
Aug 1st 2011, 22:59
Why reservoirs are not tightly monitored by CCTVs and other electronic devices ? can anyone from the WSC explain please
S Saliba
Aug 1st 2011, 19:12
'Last Friday all tests confirmed that the Fiddien reservoir water was within the EU Drinking Water Directives parameters.' - Either this is a joke or they were given the wrong sample of water. I assure you the water in Mtarfa is not fit for drinking and hasn't been for many years!! I doubt it has suddenly become good to drink after the reservoir was polluted and cleaned up.
E. Azzopardi
Aug 1st 2011, 18:56
Is it possible that all this vandalism goes unpunished? Obviously, because we rarely catch anybody.
Mark Cams
Aug 1st 2011, 18:21
this is serious . no security . any terrrorist could dump some toxic material which might no be easily seen
Mr John Dee
Aug 1st 2011, 18:15
What sort of idiot dumps waste oil like this ?
T. Aquilina
Aug 1st 2011, 18:25
A saboteur?
Kurt Mifsud
Aug 1st 2011, 17:56
Min ghamilha vera tal-misthija. Pero jien nistaqsi, kieku kien hemm xi ministru joqod lejn l-Imtarfa, kienu jhalluna lampa stampa 3 ijiem bla ilma!!! Iccempel lil WSC u jghidlek "Stenna hi" b'ton pastaz liema bhalu jew sahansitra "Xebbajtuna c-cemplu, nafu bil-problema" u jsabbtulek it-telefon. Sa fejn naf jien, bid-dritt ghandu jintbat boswer jimla t-tankijiet tar-residenti.
U ta min jghid ukoll li ilna SNIN bl-ilma jinqata minn darba sa darbtejn fil-gimgha l-Imtarfa. Ghamlu google search u taraw kemm itellalkom ittri tat-Times fosthom 2 tieghi. Xbajt nghidilhom lil WSC fuqha. Hemm il-pompa tal-Bahrija bil-hsara u ma jridux jirrangawha. Isthu!!!
JOE ZAHRA
Aug 1st 2011, 17:34
The water services dept is sorry for the inconvenience ,thats not good enough if we fail to pay our bills on time we are chargerd extra . WSC is failing to deliver thier part of the contract ie running water . By removing the watchman WSC are at fault , we are entitled to compensation
Mr M Farrugia
Aug 1st 2011, 17:47
Il-WSC ma ghandix tort f'dan il-kaz it-tort kollu huwa ta xi hadd irrisponsabbli li jhobb il-poplu Malti Barra minhekk il-WSC qeda tistenna l-inkejsta tal-magistrat biex tuzsa il-borehole. Malli jghatuwa il-go ahead dawk li qed imexxi l-inkjesta s-sitwazzjoni tigi ghan-normal. Please tal-inkjesta haffu ftit halli il-klienti tal-WSC ma jibqax isofru u jehel l-management ghal xejn b'xejn.
Wilfred Camilleri
Aug 1st 2011, 17:57
Compensation? All the WSC is responsible for is restoring the service as soon as possible and for providing an alternative source of water, such as the use of a water bowser, while the service is unavailable. You are not entitled to any compensation! The WSC is not at fault. The fault is that of the delinquent who contaminated the water source.
Mr Mike Abbot
Aug 1st 2011, 22:22
if it is this easy to contaminate our drinking water then the WSC IS at fault for not protecting it adequately. It sounds like there is no protection at all. Ultimate blame still lies with the person who dumped the oil. As for compensation, they should be held accountable, somehow, if the source wasn't protected. I guess as usual, no one will shoulder responsibility.
George Borge
Aug 1st 2011, 22:51
The WSC is fully responsible to safeguard its assets at all costs. The WSC and its political head is also failing the Maltese public by letting so many legal and illegal boreholes siphoning so much water without charging for it. This water belongs to all the Maltese and not to those siphoning it for free.
Mr Joseph Sammut
Aug 1st 2011, 17:10
While one condemns without any reservation this vile act, at least the competent authorities should give an indication when the water supply will be properly restored. Here in Rabat we have been without any water since last Thursday evening. I hope the authorities appreciate the miserable state we are living in this hot weather. I urge the authorities to resolve the issue as soon as possible............... please.
MaryJo Camenzuli
Aug 1st 2011, 17:06
I hope this situation is rectified as soon as possible.
People living in Rabat are experiencing water shortages and we hope this does not continue for long.
.
V Agius
Aug 1st 2011, 16:48
This is a shameful act and should be dealt with seriously. Those responsible for this irresponsible and criminal deed (if identified) should be severely punished.
Mr B Grech
Aug 1st 2011, 16:05
The government's laissez - faire attitude to the issue of illegal boreholes (as with other important issues) has led to a situation where such incidents may happen with or without our knowledge.
T. Aquilina
Aug 1st 2011, 18:22
Correct M B Grech. Whenever illegal activities take place these should be dealt with swiftly and effectively. Not taking immediate steps will lead the perpetrators to carry on with their activity and encourage others to do the same, as the sheer number of illegal boreholes will attest. It is going to be very difficult to control the situation now. This might be done by introducing very stiff penalties - and we can only hope and pray that these will deter others from committing these obscene crimes.
C Scerri
Aug 1st 2011, 21:49
The borehole is not an illegal one, but one used by WSC to pump water into the reservoir. My question is - who could have had an interest in perpetuating such an internal act of terrorism? If caught he/she should be arraigned under the terrorism act!
Victor Pulis
Aug 1st 2011, 15:43
A series of samples were taken and analysed at the WSC laboratories and other samples were sent abroad for more detailed analysis
the Health Authorities told the WSC that the Magisterial Inquiry had requested independent tests.
Aren't the samples tested abroad considered independent?
Mr Edward Mallia
Aug 1st 2011, 16:31
There seems to be a wider problem here. Twice recently - the last time in the case of that poor German 14-year old who fell from a high balcony -- the police were said to have sent blood samples for testing abroad. Is it then the case that we do not have any in-house capacity to do that? Or is there some unresolved spat between the police and swome other government entity that has paralysed forensic activity in this field?
Jonathan Henwood
Aug 1st 2011, 15:17
In a country where water is getting scarcer, I cannot understand why adequate security is not provided to these sites. The immediate result is lack of water at our residences for 4 days (to date), but nationally it further depletes and contaminates the resources which WSC and all citizens should strive to preserve both for human and ecological needs.
The problem is also one of sheer lack of competence- clearly the backup systems failed, although it should have been regularly tested for emergencies, which awmi-arid countries may be prone to sffer.
If WSC are incapable of providing the supply of water, a basic service they have been providing for years. and thus should have perfected, I shudder at the though of what happens at their other new installations.
Carmel Cilia
Aug 1st 2011, 16:28
Some ten years back the water Services corporation started employing people with political affiliations straight from outside the civil service. This they did giving these blue eyed boys tens of thousands of maltese liri against the civil services pay which in certain instances was less than 25 percent.
On one occasion one of these brilliant new employees just to make belief that he was saving money to the corporation had the great idea of replacing the watchman at strategic sites with cameras. He said that thus the corporation would save money. Some time later it transpired that somebody during the night threw kerosine or something similar into a borehole thus contaminating the whole cistern. Needless to say millions of gallons of water were washed out.
Is this something similar?. If yes the people at the top should be held responsible and accountable for their actions.
This did not happen in the past in fact a man at the top was offered a higher job than the one he occupied then. This chap is still around somewhere else kissing the hand of his benefactor. .
Albert Ostimani
Aug 1st 2011, 15:11
Bis-serjeta? Imma kif dejjem irridu nsibu xi hadd injurant iktar mill-injuranza li rajna s'issa fil-pajjiz?
Karl Abela
Aug 1st 2011, 15:05
This incident further compounds on Dingli’s existing water problem since many years. Residents (and that includes me) living in the higher part of Dingli have their water supply cut off everyday from precisely from 11pm to 4 or 5am. It’s not tragic, but it’s inconvenient.
Furthermore, the water pressure of the allocated ration that this article mentions is not even reaching the higher part of Dingli, so effectively our area has been without water since Thursday evening.
Fine, accidents like this happen, but the cherry on the cake is when you call the water services corporation and you get shouted at by the arrogant operator just because you enquired why you haven’t been without water for 5 days.
Oh, and that water bowser promised to us yesterday by WSC still has not arrived.
Phew…now where did I put that deodorant?!?!.... finished?!?!...Oh God…
Bianca Clarke
Aug 1st 2011, 21:17
Us too, the bowser was promised to us for yesterday but it never came, the exact words "they work until the sunsets" then when I called again this morning it was promised for today as he'll be working til 8pm but no bowser!
Mr David Buttigieg
Aug 1st 2011, 15:05
OK,
I admit I could be right off the mark as I don't know half (probably 90% of) the facts, but is it that for somebody to poison all Rabat and Dingli by dropping, say, radioactive material in this borehole instead of oil?
Is there any security at all?
Charles Micallef
Aug 1st 2011, 14:44
One hopes that WSC learns from this incident and ensures that all such accesses to borehole are monitored with a 24 hour surveillance system, and must also remember that this moron have now opened the minds of other would be saboteurs.
This incident must be taken very seriously by the authorities.
Jesse Galea
Aug 1st 2011, 14:34
Jekk jinqabad dan l-injorant li ghamel din il-vedikazzjoni ghandu jintefa 3 xhur habs bla ilma!!!
Mr Tony MANGION
Aug 1st 2011, 14:29
If it is so easy to sabotage this respective reservoir, or in anycase other reservoirs, why had the WSC engineers and other experts did not anticipated and were so reluctant to do something especially after the disaster that met the Mellieha forestry?.
Mr Simon Bonello
Aug 1st 2011, 14:24
kemm hawn min m ghandux x jaghmel, kellom bzonn jaqbduh !!
Mr Michael Buhagiar
Aug 1st 2011, 15:19
jekk il-poplu ma jaghmilx id-dover tieghu u jirraporta lil dan il-kriminal li kkontamina l-bore hole (u hawn min jaf min hu dan il-kriminal) allura n-nies m'ghandhomx jippretendu ilma fi zmien qasir. Jiehdu taghlima biex kulhadd hu min hu, kbir jew zghir ghandhu jaghti kaz ta' xi jsir madwarhu.
Mr M Farrugia
Aug 1st 2011, 17:50
ghandek ragun habib. U hawn aktar li ghax ma ghandhomx x'jaghmlu joqghod ipecilqu fil-vojt ukoll bhal bicca il-kbira ta dawn li kkumentaw basta jaraw se joskuraw lil WSC