€10 million investment for the sustainable use of groundwater

The Qattara project has been completed as a result of a €10 million investment leading to better quality of water and less dependency on groundwater.

During a press conference at the Qrendi reservoirs, Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Sustainable Development Miriam Dalli and Parliamentary Secretary for European Funds Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi explained that this project will result in more sustainable use of natural resources.

“Some 1,000 residents were using water directly extracted from boreholes. Thanks to this project, potable water arriving at people’s homes will be mixed with water produced through Reverse Osmosis. This will eliminate over extraction whilst ensuring water which is of better quality in taste”, explained Minister Miriam Dalli.

Parliamentary Secretary Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi explained that through this investment, co-financed by European funds, a better-quality water supply will be providing the service to the residents of the surrounding areas.

Parliamentary Secretary Zrinzo Azzopardi added that the aim of this project was to improve the services provided by the Water Services Corporation to the public and to achieve the highest level of operational efficiency of the Corporation, while at the same time reducing the impact of operations on the environment and natural resources.

The investment in the Qrendi reservoir included 50km of pipework to improve water distributions in remote parts of Siġġiewi and Ħaż-Żebbuġ.

The Qattara project was initiated back in 2019, when works included 32 kilometres of trenchwork and the subsequent laying of around 50km of potable water mains leading the boreholes towards the reservoir. This process will direct the groundwater towards the Qrendi reservoir, which will then be mixed with the Reverse Osmosis.

“The Water Services Corporation is continuously investing in various projects to provide the best water quality to its customers”, highlighted Minister Dalli.

These projects include the first Reverse Osmosis in Gozo, the underground tunnel between Ta’ Qali and Pembroke servicing central locations, as well as upgrades around Malta to deliver quality tap water across the island.