A rainwater harvesting reservoir first built in 1600 is set to be reinstated at San Anton Palace following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to mark World Water Day. 

The MOU was signed by representatives of the Office of the President of Malta, the Energy and Water Agency of Malta and the Global Water Partnership – Mediterranean (GWP-Med) at a ceremony at the Presidential Palace on March 22.

The 1.8 million-litre capacity reservoir will be used to irrigate the orange grove of the Palace and its gardens, and the programme leading to its reinstallation is being financially supported by the Coca-Cola Foundation's Alter Aqua partners. Works are expected to be completed by the end of summer.

President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca that the project is a statement of Malta's commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals and thanked all stakeholders involved.

General Soft Drinks Marketing chief operating officer Maria Micallef said that the Alter Aqua programme had positively impacted the lives of 53,000 people in Malta by collecting and reusing more than 16 million litres of water every year.

"Through the Alter Aqua project, more than 13,000 students have been educated on sustainable development in schools, while 1228 teachers have been trained since 2011," Mrs Micallef added. 

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