Opposition Leader Alfred Sant yesterday called on the Prime Minister to assume his responsibility and ensure a resolution of the problem causing the drainage overflow at Balluta in St Julian's, which has led to two ministers suing each other in court.
Dr Sant said that a government that was not in slumber, was not past its sell-by date and which had the necessary dynamism would solve such a problem and not allow a situation to develop where a government department and corporation were suing each other in court, instead of working together to eliminate the problem.
Dr Sant told a news conference that on 13 August the Department of Health advised against swimming in Balluta Bay "because of abnormal circumstances".
The Water Services Corporation was quick to say that the damage in the drainage system involved a private connection and that it was the responsibility of the Health Department to warn the individual concerned to make good the damage. But the Health Department said that tests had proved clearly that the damage involved a WSC main.
On 24 August the Health Department started a court case against the WSC and on 29 August Balluta Bay was declared fit for swimming, though the department said it was not convinced that the problem had been eliminated for good. On 30 August Magistrate Jacqueline Padovani made an on site enquiry at three manholes in Main Street, St Julian's and while the enquiry was on the WSC and the department were still blaming each other. The magistrate nominated architect Valerio Schembri to investigate the manholes by CCTV cameras. On 4 September another notice again banned swimming at Balluta.
Then last Tuesday the court case against the WSC resumed. Magistrate Padovani described the situation as serious and ordered the necessary inspections.
Had the situation not been so serious, Dr Sant said, it would be a farce. Drainage overflow at Balluta went back years, he said, showing a picture of Michael Falzon, today chairman of the WSC, who in 1990, when he was a minister, "made the gimmick" of going to swim at Balluta to show there was no drainage pollution.
Today, 17 years later, Mr Falzon was chairman of the WSC and was caught in a tussle with the Department of Health about drainage overflow in Balluta. The tragedy was that today we had a government which was not politically in control of the situation.
For Minister Austin Gatt, or one of his corporations, and Minister Louis Deguara, or his department, to end in court, meaning that one minister was suing another, to resolve a drainage overflow problem was totally unacceptable, Dr Sant said.
Dr Sant added that the Prime Minister could not allow this to continue. The drainage overflow problem affected the health of those going to swim, and the tourism sector, and it was the responsibility of the government to find a solution. The government could not leave this issue in court, even though the court was doing its best.
This was not the way to do things. The Prime Minister had the duty to find a solution. The drainage issue at Balluta was another indication why the country badly needed a change in government, he said.
Meanwhile, in a press release issued yesterday evening, the Water Services Corporation said that on the night of last Wednesday, corporation workers, in the presence of the Court expert and officials from the Health Department, investigated an old disused pipe and it resulted it that this was allowing drainage from the WSC galleries to "backflow" into it, and hence leak into the sea.
The origin of this pipe, that is not recorded on Drainage Department plans, is unknown. The WSC said it appeared that it had been blocked with concrete that may have been recently dislodged.
WSC employees immediately carried out temporary remedial works to block off the pipe and are taking steps to block it up in a more permanent manner.
The Corporation said it regrets any inconvenience caused.