Hotels along the Qawra and Bugibba coast are using sea water illegally for their flushing systems, increasing salinity levels in sewage.
By using sea water to flush toilets, the hotels save money on their water bills. But the material then has to be subjected to a desalination process as well as being treated for bacteria in order to be used for agriculture or to recharge the water table. According to government estimates, around 6,500 cubic metres of water which emerges from the Mellieha sewage treatment plant is dumped into the sea every day because of saline levels.
When contacted, the Infrastructure Ministry confirmed that hotels were depositing matter into the sewers with a salinity level more or less equivalent to sea water. It said that the Water Services Corporation had written to a number of tourism establishments after tests were carried out.
"Some establishments have complied; however, others have disregarded these notices. We are seeking to refine the legal powers to allow for swifter action against establishments which flout the law in this regard," the ministry said. Last month, Infrastructure Minister Austin Gatt said that the government would only be prepared to treat the water to a level where it can be used for agriculture and if farmers paid for it.
As things stand today, the effluent will have to be desalinated. The hotels are not solely to blame for the salinity of the sewage in the north of the island, since there is a problem with old pipes taking in sea water close to the coast.
However, the ministry said this issue was being tackled with some success.
"Repairs on infrastructure are in hand to ensure no seawater infiltration occurs where sewer lines are passing below sea level. This has already been reduced by a considerable amount."
According to ministry figures, the situation at Mellieha two years ago stood at 6,400 microsiemens/cm (a measurement gauging salinity in water). It now stands at 5,600ms/ cm, when the level needed for it to be used in agricultural is around 4,000ms/cm.
The salinity measurements on certain hotels have given readings as high as 50,000ms/cm, which is similar to the level of salinity in sea water.