Never have Malta’s groundwater resources been in such a precarious state. Groundwater is being severely over exploited. We are pumping out water at a rate that is 50 per cent higher than the sustainable replacement by rainwater.

This is leading to seawater intrusion. Furthermore, most groundwater bodies show nitrate levels that exceed the EU safe limit of 50mg/l.

Malta is already heavily dependent on reverse osmosis for its water supply. Further increasing our dependence on these reverse osmosis plants is unsustainable because this technology is based on the burning of fossil fuel. Reverse osmosis water is also more expensive than ground-water and should these plants need to be shut down because of an oil spill for example, Malta has only a two days’ reserve of potable water.

In 2006, a team of FAO experts carried out a thorough study of Malta’s water resources and had advised that the country’s core water challenge is one of water governance. Tough decisions will have to be made immediately if the environmental sustainability of Malta’s aquifer systems is to be achieved. However, decision-making is currently fragmented, policies are poorly aligned and awareness of the consequences of continued mismanagement of the sea-level aquifers is poor.

The above-mentioned study laid the ground for the preparation of a National Water Management Plan which would see a radical change in the governance of the local water resources. The present government had made an electoral commitment to prepare a National Water Management Plan. The Malta Water Association had congratulated the government when the 2014 Budget speech included this paragraph: “A national water plan will be devised. Government will make sure there is adequate infrastructure in place for the storage of rain water while also restoring and managing existing structures more efficiently. Moreover, government will launch a campaign for water conservation.”

It was understood at the time that the drafting of this plan needed the allocation of financial and other resources towards overseas expertise. However, no resources were specifically allocated. The fact is that 2014 has effectively passed by and we barely heard of the National Water Management Plan.

The 2015 Budget also mentions the National Water Plan: “A National Water Management Plan is being developed in consultation with stakeholders. The aim is to have this plan ready and adopted by next year.”

This rather scanty yet optimistic statement should mean that the National Water Management Plan is not quite dead and buried. However, as an association, we have our concerns that the plan will not see the light of day unless adequate resources are specifically allocated to the preparation of this plan.

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