Major European investment will improve water sustainability in Malta

150 million euros will go into more efficient systems, that use recycled water, consume less energy and conserve it in better ways

The European Union has approved a massive investment in water sustainability in Malta. Funding of €150 million to a Water Services Corporation initiative is the largest ever funding provided by the Cohesion Fund for the country, asserts Malta Chamber. Funding a number of activities, the project is supposed to alter the processes of water processing and distribution across the islands of Malta and Gozo and improve the groundwater conservation and sustainability.

The significant amount will go mostly for the seawater desalination plants upgrade which shall ultimately become more effective, or produce more water relying on reduced energy consumption. In numbers, this means that 4 billion litres less water will be extracted from the ground annually, in addition to expected production of 9 million litres daily thanks to the new osmosis plant which is planned for construction in Gozo. In addition, the agricultural sector will get access to 7 billion litres of recycled water every year, by the 70 km of network and over 400 automated dispensers.

Finally, a new €33 million tunnel from Pembroke to Ta’ Qali will be constructed, on top of significant upgrades and technological innovations introduced in the sewage network.

The project relies on a comprehensive approach by investing in the socio-economic and environmental dimensions of water sustainability, thereby contributing to improved quality of life and economic growth in the Mediterranean country.