The ministry’s long-term objective is to produce seven billion litres of “highly polished reclaimed water” per year. Photo: Matthew MirabelliThe ministry’s long-term objective is to produce seven billion litres of “highly polished reclaimed water” per year. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Treated water from the Mellieħa polishing plant is being offered to farmers at “highly competitive prices” as part of a government plan to reduce dependency on the aquifer, which in recent years has been depleted.

Though this project is still in its infancy, the Energy Ministry’s long-term objective is to produce seven billion litres of “highly polished reclaimed water” per year.

According to a legal notice published last month, the first block of 2,500 cubic metres of water for agricultural purposes will be offered free of charge as an incentive, apart from an annual €25 service charge.

READ: As water scarcity bites, farmers learn how to prevent a dry future

Though plans to start treating sewage for agricultural use have long been in the pipeline, it was only last May that the first plant was commissioned at Taċ-Ċumnija in Mellieħa.

This was confirmed by an Energy Ministry spokeswoman, who told this newspaper that another one at Ta’ Barkat in Xgħajra would soon be operational.

A third plant, at Ras il-Ħobż in Għajnsielem, will be the last to be commissioned.

Once it is operational, the three facilities would have a total capacity to produce up to seven billion litres of treated water per year, the ministry said.

The results have enabled the water to be certified for crops eaten raw

Wastewater scepticism 

Yet the concept of wastewater recycling is still viewed with scepticism in certain quarters, amid concerns that it could pose certain health hazards.

READ: Muscat had mentioned the treated water project during the electoral campaign

However, the Energy Ministry insisted that the filtration process in place was very rigorous, as with the technology adopted, a wide range of pollutants present in wastewater were treated.

Furthermore, the Water Services Corporation was testing samples both at its own laboratories and in foreign facilities to ensure the high quality of the polished water, the spokeswoman said.

“These results have also enabled the government’s Food Safety Commission to certify the water for use in the agricultural sector, even for crops which are eaten raw,” she added.

The ministry also pointed out that the WSC was closely following the process currently being undertaken by the European Commission to establish EU Common Quality Standards for water reuse. In this respect, the quality levels of the polished water being produced in Malta meet all the qualitative requirements which are currently being considered by Brussels, the spokeswoman said.

From a technical perspective, the water is being distributed to farmers through a dedicated network completely separate from that used for domestic and industrial purposes.

READ: Borehole misuse is running our aquifer dry

“The distribution network, which is being planned under EU funding, will be in the vicinity of the polishing plants and their area coverage will depend on the production capacity of each plant,” the ministry said.

The network will make use of colour-coded pipes to make them easily distinguishable from the WSC’s network. Farmers access the network at specific dispensing points through electronic cards provided by the corporation.

Asked on the long-term benefits of this project, the Energy Ministry said the price of polished water had been set at “highly competitive” levels to discourage groundwater abstraction.

As outlined in the legal notice, the first water tariff band will not be applied to farmers, to further encourage them to use the reclaimed resource.

On the other hand, pumping water from the aquifers came at a cost, as with groundwater abstraction, customers had to cover certain costs of electricity consumption and metering, as well as maintenance of the equipment, the ministry said.

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