The Water Services Corporation has published a tender aimed at addressing the damaged Xatt l-Aħmar pipeline.

The existing submarine outfall at Ras il-Ħobż, limits of Għajnsielem, was installed in 1998 and serves for the discharge of treated sewage effluent from the Gozo Sewage Treatment Plant to the sea.

It extends offshore for about 140 metres and reaches a depth of around 80 metres. The last 38 metres of this pipeline were blocked in the past years and need to be replaced.

The project shall consist of:

* Preliminary surveying of the existing submarine pipeline and seabed.

* Removal of the blocked portion of the pipeline from the seabed, and its proper disposal.

* Fabrication, transportation and installation of a new submarine pipeline on the same alignment of the old one and connecting it with the remaining pipeline.

READ: Thick sewage reappears at Ras il-Hobż

The WSC said the infrastructure was damaged through the improper use of the urban sewer system.

It is very important that only human toilet waste and degradable toilet paper were discharged in the system. Any other materials damaged and severely impaired the capacity of the network and treatment plants.

CEO Richard Bilocca said that the project, together with other important initiatives in collaboration with the ministries for water management and Gozo, aimed to ensure a long-term solution to current impediments.

The call for offers closes in the coming weeks. Documents are available here. 

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.