By the end of summer sewage water will be treated and used for agriculture and industry, no portfolio minister Konrad Mizzi said this evening.

He was speaking during the inauguration of new equipment at the water treatment plant in Iċ-Ċumnija, near Mellieha.

Dr Mizzi said three water treatment sites will soon be able to turn sewage into water fit for agriculture. This was being done through a €20 million investment, which is co-financed by the EU.

The minister explained that, while sewage is already being treated, it is pumped out into the sea. Using this new equipment, the water will be further treated to become suitable for agricultural use. Around seven billion litres of water will be produced annually through this new system.

A further €20 million will be spent to get the water to rural areas. Farmers will be encouraged to apply for EU funds to get the water into their fields.

Dr Mizzi said the government estimated to reach about 2,200 hectares of fields, or around a quarter of agricultural land in Malta.

The government, he said, understood that farmers had high overheads so it decided that the water will be provided for free.

In a brief address, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said he hoped that farmers would make use of the new system.