A water polishing plant at Ta’ Barkat that will turn 12,000 cubic metres of treated sewage into 9,600 cubic metres of high quality water was given the go-ahead yesterday.

However, the planning authority board highlighted the problem of animal manure being illegally dumped in the main sewage system, leading to high levels of pollutants discharged into the sea and breaching the amounts permitted by law.

Engineer Stephen Cachia, of the Water Services Corporation, said its request to disconnect farms from the main sewage connection had been turned down. “Now we are being lumped with even more than expected,” he said.

A consultant for AIS Environment, which drew up the environment impact report for the polishing plant, said stricter enforcement and a long term strategy to stop disposal in the sewers was needed.

Now we are being lumped with even more than expected

Pollutant levels would become more “concentrated” as the polishing plant would reduce the volume of reject water discharged into the sea, he warned.

Even the environment directorate was concerned by animal manure disposal.

The polishing plant will take up a site of around 1,250 cubic in the South Sewage Treatment Plant in an outside development zone, limits of Xgħajra.

The structure forms part of the water reclamation project that involves upgrading three waste water treatment plants with polishing plants. Their main function is to biologically treat second-class water.

Meanwhile, the planning authority also approved an underground pipe built by micro-tunnelling to transport reclaimed water from Ta’ Barkat through Żabbar to the Sant’Antnin treatment plant in Marsascala and supply existing reservoirs.