The Department of Public Health yesterday announced that the sea opposite the new perched beach in Bugibba, which had been closed since Monday due to a sewage leak, is once again fit for swimming.

Health inspector manager of the Department of Public Health, John Attard Kingswell, said that from samples taken this week, it transpired that no other areas in Bugibba were affected by the leak, which was caused when sewage ended up in a rain water culvert leading to the sea.

The incident inevitably drew criticism from various quarters, not least Alternattiva Demokratika – The Green Party (AD), which issued a press statement on the subject this week. According to AD, too much haste to develop tourism projects is resulting in unforeseen problems which are badly damaging the industry.

AD’s spokesman for the environment and rural affairs, Mark Causon, laid the blame for the Bugibba seepage on drainage emanating from one or more of the area’s hotels. However, the Tourism Ministry has since denied that the source of the pollution was waste from hotels, claiming that the leak originated from two boathouses in the vicinity.

Mr Causon also said that despite the fact that the artificial sandy platform was launched for use this summer, the entrance to the perched beach still looks like a building site, adding to the shabbiness of this primary tourist resort.

Meanwhile, in response to AD’s statement, the Tourism Ministry said that the drainage system was not buried under the sand as if the problem could be forgotten, as stated by AD’s spokesman.

Part of the ministry’s project for the perched beach included the initiative to stop drainage from surrounding boathouses from flowing into the sea. This was done by connecting the boathouse drainage system to a sump which was built for drainage from a public convenience on the perched beach.

The cause of the sewage leak turned out to be a drainage pipe from two boathouses leading into the sea, the ministry said. It added that since the contractor who was working on the project is currently on shutdown, the pipe was cut and re-directed into a canal, built temporarily to lead the drainage into a sump used for drainage from other boathouses and the public convenience.

The canal has been covered with bricks to avoid inconvenience and the sump is being emptied every morning and evening to avoid leakages into the sea. Following the necessary tests and investigations, the area has been deemed fit for swimming and the Health Inspectorate will be removing the “No Bathing” signs as soon as possible.

Contacted by The Malta Independent, Labour spokesman for tourism Evarist Bartolo said that this problem is a result of mismanagement and bad planning. He added that “we should take advantage of the country’s size” to improve systems by which we carry out our projects.