Updated with Opposition's spokesman's comments

The Water Services Corporation’s profits last year soared to €6.3 million while debts were down by €5.8 million, Water Minister Joe Mizzi told parliament today.

Moving the corporation’s estimates, Mr Mizzi said debts had gone down by €30 million in four years and the government subsidy had decreased by €1.3 million.

Later this year, the minister said, the corporation would be applying for €100 million in EU funds to consolidate the water distribution and drainage system.

Plans were at an advanced stage for “new water” systems and farmers would be able to apply for EU funds to extend their watering system. 

So-called new water systems filter wastewater, allowing it to be used for agricultural and industrial purposes. 

The WSC’s main focus this year, the minister said, would be to increase efficiency. A total 680 inspections were carried out last year with water theft found in 35 cases.

On solar energy, Mr Mizzi said that the Fiddien reservoir would soon be covered in solar panels to produce an annual 1,000 megawatts for 25 years. People investing in this scheme would benefit from reduced electricity rates, he added. 

Wage bill up by €5.3 million

Opposition spokesman Jean Pierre Debono noted that there was an increase of €5.3 million in the corporation’s wage bill for 2017, which would now reach €27.6 million.This represented an increase of 23.3

This represented an increase of 23.3%, bringing wages to 33% of the WSC’s total expenditure.

Mr Debono asked how these additional workers were to be employed, and asked if they would replace workers employed by contractors. The corporation itself had reported it did not have enough equipment for all of them.

If there was really a need for the additional manpower, why was equipment not procured in advance, he asked.