The dry spell of the last few months has led to further overuse of boreholes, putting even more strain on the already precarious condition of Malta’s aquifers, according to a leading hydrologist.
Marco Cremona, a founding member of the Malta Water Association, said most agricultural wells were designed to cover dry spells of only a few days or weeks, so farmers were turning to boreholes to support their fields during the extended dry period.
“Funds have been made available for farmers to invest in wells, but for many, boreholes are a more convenient option,” he said. “However, over-extraction is leading to aquifers becoming increasingly salty (salinised), which could mean that the water will soon no longer be suitable for agriculture.”
Farmers have warned that the country would face a severe shortage of fruit and vegetables in spring and autumn unless there is a drastic change of weather in the current weeks.
A meagre 187.5mm of rain has fallen since September 1, which is only slightly more than half the norm for the last four months of the year. In contrast, this time last year total rainfall had already exceeded the 300mm mark.
The Met Office predicts heavy rainfall in the coming days, but farmers have said it would take a minimum of 250mm by the end of next month to avert the situation.
According to Mr Cremona, Malta’s aquifers typically replenish between October and March while farmers take advantage of abundant rainwater. In the case of a dry spell, however, water continues to be drawn from a limited source without being replenished. “Boreholes may seem like a permanent solution but in fact they’re only temporary,” he said. “This overuse will backfire not just on farmers but on the whole country.”
Mr Cremona said the current situation should serve as a wake-up call on the urgent need for a holistic national water strategy, including “positive action” to address the problem of over-extraction. The creation of such a strategy was included in the government’s electoral manifesto and supported by the main political parties, he added.
Almost 40 million cubic metres of groundwater were extracted in 2012, almost double the amount extracted in 2004, according to the NSO. Studies conducted by the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency and the British Geological Survey indicated that restoring the country’s groundwater body would take some 40 years.
“At the moment, we can sustainably pump 25 million cubic metres of water every year,” Mr Cremona said. “If we lose that resource, we will have to rely solely on reverse osmosis, which would be a serious problem both economically and strategically.
“If something were to happen to the reverse osmosis plant, Malta would only have about two days’ worth of potable water in our reservoirs.”