A short note attached to a photo announced last Thursday that cisterns discovered under the old opera house in Valletta will be filled with water in a “green building” exercise.
The risk is too high for commercial and historical enterprises- Fr Eugene Paul Theuma OFM Conv
I wonder whether this is a well thought out exercise or just more media hype.
Do they know what they are talking about? Has anyone ever bothered to ask why such a space is bone dry? What consequences would there be in changing such a sensitive geological and rock starta level within a sensitive site as Valletta?
Everyone knows and appreciates that water is an essential and fundamental aspect of human life and today we are more aware of the need to find ways of storing and preserving it.
On the other hand, in Malta, in a space similar to Valletta, a World Heritage site, one has to use or re-use this valuable asset after serious consideration. Introducing thousands of litres of water within such a space can cause havoc and immense damage to monuments and others besides.
First and foremost, has anyone considered (or even studied) the most recent damage caused by months of massive jackhammering operations in the area? During the 1990s, similar operations in Republic Street had dire consequences on possibly the oldest residence/building in Valletta: the 1599 Franciscan Conventual Friary, overlooking Strait Street.
Structural engineers have defined the phenomenon as “warping”. The whole building is covered in stress marks and fissures and the massive stone walls are tearing as though they were cheese. Literally, this monument is tearing itself apart.
Jackhammering has caused the already creviced rock to lose consistency. A foreign expert visiting the site said that the building had lasted for 500 years but will not last another 100 years in such conditions.
Also, does anyone have an idea where the water will flow to if there are leaks in the cistern rock face? I will only mention two incidents that happened in the 1980s and 1990s (recorded by the Public Works Department and etched in people’s memories).
One involved damage to a water pipe located in front of the Auberge de Castille. Water from this breakage seeped into the underground Franciscan Conventual Friary (1588) on Republic Street, flowing into the large basement area.
This flooding lasted for about a year, that is, until the damaged pipes where identified hundreds of metres away, next to Castille.
Another, even worse, incident involved the contamination of ground water and cisterns at the lower end of Valletta, primarily the underground water system of the 17th century Archbishop’s Palace in Archbishop Street.
The fish in the cistern died and their habitat was completely devastated. In due course, the drainage infiltration was traced back to a damaged drain located next to Castille.
These are but two incidents out of dozens more that reveal the need for serious geological and in-depth preparatory studies before the decision of pumping thousands of litres of water into these forgotten and presently dry cisterns can be taken.
Have we forgotten the outcry when similar cisterns were discovered in front of the law court and next to St John’s Co-Cathedral and the intention to fill them again with water was divulged? Both foreign and local experts had decried the extensive damage the water would inevitably do to the co-cathedral’s stability and humidity levels.
Since the 1980s, within Valletta one has to deal with a largely new phenomenon: most shop extensions have gone underground.
Thus, most shops and other storage areas are now located at a deeper level to the cisterns found under the old opera house. Has anyone considered the consequences of such a water source in the very heart of Valletta?
Moreover, the new “archives” being built within the former railway tunnel, under the Parliament site, will bear the brunt of any water infiltrations and seepages.
As much as we would like to have it, there is no foolproof waterproofing when it comes to Maltese limestone. Past and future works conducted in the area will shatter and break up the rock and thererfore any waterproofing treatment.
Yet another matter to bear in mind is the fact that these cisterns are located only a few metres away from two of Valletta’s most valuable treasures: St Catherine church and Victory church.
One of these has just been restored to its former glory; the other is in the process of being restored, with Din l-Art Ħelwa embarking on a campaign that will see hundreds of thousands of euros being allocated to this project.
What will happen if/when the now bone dry rock suddenly becomes permeated with water? Millions of euros in restoration will go down the drain.
It is necessary to put an immediate halt to this “water” project, especially in view of the amounts of money already being spent in making modifications to the cisterns, connecting them to other “new” cisterns in the ditch.
The risk is too high for both commercial and historical enterprises within Valletta.