(Adds statement by Kunsill Malti ghall-iSport)

The yearly bill to disinfect the Olympic-sized swimming pool at Tal-Qroqq is much higher than the cost to replenish it with fresh water, with chlorine costing twice as much.

Between April 2013 and last May, a total of €18,662 was spent to supply the national pool with 7,633 cubic metres of water. In contrast, the chlorine bill in the corresponding period was €40,769. The information was tabled in Parliament recently by Parliamentary Secretary Chris Agius in reply to Opposition MP Robert Cutajar.

The monthly cost per cubic metre of fresh water has gone down, from about €2.60 in February to €1.83 in May. The cheaper prices raised concerns that the quality of fresh water was being compromised, possibly by using second-class water.

Contacted by Times of Malta, the parliamentary secretary dispelled any fears, saying that weekly tests carried out on various samples showed that the water quality was within the safe parameters.

In a statement this morning, the Kunsill Malti ghall-iSport said the quality of swimming pool water was never changed to an inferior quality and this could be seen from the results of tests tabled in Parliament.

Prices of chlorine and water, it said, were determined by public offers and in both cases KMS chose the cheapest compliant offers. Compliancy was determined by KMS experts.

It said the price of chlorine was determined after a public tender issued in 2012 and the price of water after a public sealed call for quotations issued earlier this year.

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