Everyone must do their part to ensure an efficient use of water. It is a simple message, yet one which is so very important for our country.

Malta doesn’t have rivers, doesn’t have lakes, doesn’t have an excess of water with which we can do whatever we like. We don’t have large amounts of rainfall during winter, and have barely any rain during summer. Water is an important resource which we must use wisely.

The main supply of freshwater Malta does have comes from groundwater.

During an interview with The Malta Independent on Sunday, CEO of the Energy and Water Agency Manuel Sapiano showed just how challenging water management is in this country.

But if Malta continues to manage its groundwater within a comprehensive water management framework, then there is no risk of it reaching critical levels, as long as every person does their part to use water efficiently.

Maltese people use less water than the EU average, which is already good news. He also said that over the years the Reverse Osmosis process has become more efficient, meaning less groundwater is used during the process. New initiatives like New Water, that treats wastewater for irrigation on farms, is also helping and once at full capacity should account for 30% of agricultural water needs.

Groundwater wasn’t used that well in the 80s and 90s but, thanks to efficiency, the groundwater aquifer is stabilising or even recovering in some parts. The problem areas still remain agricultural areas, but there are efforts to solve this issue. Studies found that farmers are not wasting water, so it is a case of finding ways to replace the use of groundwater they currently use, and New Water is one of the ways to tackle this.

But this doesn’t mean we can just start wasting water. We must be cautious. There are easy ways we can all do our part. Firstly, if there is space for a well or, better yet, if there is an unused well, consider putting it to good use and using collected rainwater. Farmers can build reservoirs. We can all be more efficient with water use at home – don’t leave the water running for example, purchase more modern toilets that use less water when flushing if there are really old ones in your home.

Using less water will also save you money. Sapiano said that Malta has a rising block tariff, where the first 90 litres per person per day are at a relatively good price to ensure equitable access to an adequate volume of drinking water to all, but if someone exceeds that, a significantly higher tariff-rate is applicable. 

While the situation has improved over the last 20 years, thanks to both management systems and better technology, we must remain vigilant.

If we abuse of Malta’s groundwater, it could be disastrous for the country.