Wasteserv withdrew a call for quotations for the daily supply of at least three large bowsers of potable groundwater to use for sprinkling roads and watering trees after Times of Malta raised questions about the bid.
According to the call made, the contractor had to be able to supply 1,200 litres a minute of groundwater from a borehole. That is the equivalent of what 12 people use for their domestic needs in a day.Despite years of debate on the country’s water scarcity and the over-extraction of groundwater, Wasteserv was asking for a minimum daily supply of 60,000 litres of borehole water a day for a purpose that could easily be served by second-class water.
Though the contract was to be awarded to the cheapest bidder, it was unclear what Wasteserv would actually be paying for because anyone owning a borehole extracts public water for free. Wasteserv was even offering to collect the water itself.
Wasteserv will be preparing a new water procurement process that will do away with the requirement for potable water
These concerns were raised with the Environment Ministry, which immediately distanced itself from the call saying it was an operational matter handled directly by Wasteserv. However, it did commit to withdrawing the call and revising the criteria.
“After due consideration of the points you raised, it has been decided to withdraw the call for quotations. Wasteserv will be preparing a new water procurement process that will do away with the requirement for potable water,” the ministry said.
It said potable water was being sought to ensure low salinity content and so avoid corrosive action on the wastewater trucks that were also cleaned using the same water.
When it was pointed out the water could be purchased from the Water Services Corporation, another public company, Wasteserv agreed to look into that option.
Wasteserv is building two reservoirs, one in Magħtab, with a minimum capacity of 17,000 cubic metres, and another in Qortin, having a capacity of 4,000 cubic metres, to harvest the next wet season and avoid the need to purchase water in the future. These are expected to be completed by next summer.
A report by the Today Public Policy Institute last month stressed that the lack of political will to address the free extraction of groundwater led to Malta being one of the most water-stressed countries in the world.
Politicians have been aware of the issue for at least 20 years but no significant action was taken “despite its vital importance to our very survival as a country”, the independent think-tank said.
The report was critical of the lack of studies and the lack of transparency on the true cost of water.
The free abstraction of groundwater used by industry, agriculture and private residences cannot be accurately quantified because the process of metering boreholes is still not completed, five years after the 2010 deadline.
Despite an EU directive obliging Malta to achieve good water status by the end of this year, the country is lagging behind and has requested a 12-year extension. Malta’s groundwater is polluted with high concentrations of nitrates and increasing salinity.