Former resources minister George Pullicino.

The borehole meters saga has taken on a new twist as the majority of those fitted are being replaced because they are faulty, the Energy Ministry confirmed.

Less than half the registered agricultural boreholes have been metered – four years since the original 2010 deadline.

Around 60 per cent of those fitted are now being replaced “due to a manufacturing problem”, a spokesman said.

He added that the replacement is being done at no extra cost to the Water Services Corporation as the expense is being borne by the supplier, AFS Ltd that represents Maddalena S.p.A.

So far, around 1,218 boreholes have been metered and it was expected that the remaining 2,300 would be done by early next year. This deadline will not be affected by the need to replace the meters already installed, according to the ministry.

The installation of meters on agricultural boreholes started almost a year after the original deadline. Former resources minister George Pullicino had launched the first metered borehole in November 2011.

Intention was to set quotas for farmers

He had attributed the missed deadline to “tendering delays” and the previous administration’s desire to target EU funds.

Once meters were ins­talled, the government was meant to monitor water extraction and usage rates with the intention of setting water quotas for farmers.

Delays in the installation of meters mean no quotas have yet been established.

There are 5,710 registered boreholes in Malta and another 2,282 in Gozo, according to government figures. This does not include un­registered boreholes or new ones created illegally since the moratorium was introduced in 2008.

Water bowsers were supposed to be tracked

Water bowsers were also supposed to be fitted with tracking devices and water level sensors as part of a series of actions to track down and stop the unlawful extraction of groundwater. This was announced in 2009 but nothing has happened yet.

Almost 40 million cubic metres of groundwater were extracted in 2012, according to the NSO. This is almost double the amount extracted in 2004, proving that delays in addressing the abuse of groundwater are aggravating aquifer problems.

Only 23 million cubic meters of groundwater are sustainably available for extraction. Taking more lowers the volume of freshwater within the aquifer, displacing it with increasing amounts of seawater.

In addition, trends in fertilising agricultural land over the past few decades have led to excessive nitrates coming into contact with rainwater and being carried down into the aquifers.

Between excessive nitrates and excessive salinity due to over-extraction, the water produced by almost 90 per cent of Malta’s aquifers no longer meets EU standards for safe drinking water.