The Malta Business Bureau has welcomed Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi’s statement in Parliament that the Government planned to make better use of second class water and replenish groundwater bodies.

The bureau said that water audits carried out by its EU Life+ Investing in Water Project showed that the use of second class water could significantly reduce overall water consumption.

“Several hotels and factories have already taken the initiative to collect rainwater or internally recycle and reuse treated waste-water as second class water.

More enterprises would adopt such systems if a national policy facilitating the implementation of in-house recycling units and rainwater harvesting was adopted.

This could result in many thousands of tons of potable water being saved every year by Malta’s businesses and hotels,” MBB said.

Water expert Marco Cremona said that the gradual substitution of first class with second class water where appropriate, would result in a reduction of first class water demand.

“This will reduce stress on the aquifers and dependence on reverse osmosis production, lead to less flooding and a reduced load on the municipal sewage treatment plants,” he said.