Farmers and bowser operators could soon be forced to pay for groundwater extraction as the European Commission is insisting such water is a precious resource and should be paid for.
For the past decades various governments have shied away from charging for groundwater extraction. This has led to thousands of illegal boreholes being dug directly into the island's aquifer, consequently over-exploiting Malta's already precarious state of its natural water resources.
Environment Commissioner Janez Potocnik made it clear that, according to EU rules, groundwater extraction should be paid for.
"One of the requirements of the Water Framework Directive (article 9) is that the water pricing policy is to provide adequate incentives to users to use water resources efficiently and, thereby, contribute to the environmental objectives of the directive," he said in reply to a parliamentary question tabled by Labour MEP Edward Scicluna.
"In general, this would involve metering and billing of the (ground) water used, unless it can be demonstrated that other schemes are equally effective in providing adequate incentives," Mr Potocnik added.
Until a few years ago, the Maltese authorities did not even know how much groundwater was being extracted as boreholes were not metered. However, following Malta's entry into the EU, a scheme was introduced, together with an amnesty for boreholes to be registered. Over 8,500 were registered under the scheme, the majority of which had been dug out illegally.
However,many believe there are more illegal boreholes still operating and unmetered. Between September 2008 and September 2009, a total of 19.1 million cubic metres of water were extracted from the aquifer for agriculture use, according to figures released by the National Statistics Office.
This "free" water was much more than the 12.7 million cubic metres extracted by theWater Services Corporation during the same period for potable purposes, which consumers had to pay for. Groundwater amounts to 55 per cent of all Malta's potable water needs, the other 45 per cent provided by reverse osmosis plants.
This situation is giving rise to concerns that Malta could end up with a dry water table in just a few years if the level of extraction continues at the current rate.
According to former WSC chairman Tancred Tabone, Malta could be facing a crisis within five years.
"The principle is nothing should be free and although the problem is a national one and for Malta to resolve, the Commission's directive makes it clear groundwater resources should be well managed," a Commission official said. "We are still waiting for Malta's plan on how it is going to manage its water resources. However, it is clear the current status quo is not sustainable."
Only last June, Brussels started infringement procedures against Malta for not submitting a management plan to protect its groundwater on time and was given two months to do so. According to the Commission, the plan has not yet been submitted.
Last August, the government launched a consultation process on a new water policy for the island but the Commission is insisting Malta is late.
According to Mr Potocnik the main tools to achieve the objectives of the Water Framework Directive are the (river/groundwater) basin management plans and the programmes of measures, which had to be adopted by December 2009 and sent to the Commission by March 2010.
"Malta has not yet reported its management plans and programme of measures," he insisted. Mr Potocnik said, once received, "the Commission will assess their contents as regards fulfilment of the directive obligations".