Water that was being used to clean a road full of dust from a construction site ended up spilling out into the sea at Zonqor Bay.

Mayor of Marsascala Mario Calleja confirmed that this took place on Wednesday and explained to The Malta Independent what happened and how this “was not right.”

The water was coming from an adjacent road where a site manager of a building that is being developed got a bowser, following the orders of Calleja, and used it to wash and clean the road from any dust that came from the construction site.

Calleja said that he received numerous complaints from residents, some suffering from asthma, who were complaining about the amount of dust that there was in that street because of ongoing construction works. Therefore, Calleja contacted the site manager of the development and told him that, “today before tomorrow, he must bring a bowser and clean the road.”

True to his word the site manager got a bowser to clean the road. However, Calleja said that the workers did not sweep the road before washing it. As a result, the dirty water made its way towards the coast and ended up exiting from a culvert and spilt out onto the rocks and then into the sea.

There was an unfortunate bystander who had a fright after some of the water splashed onto her as she was sunbathing under the culvert where the water emerged, Calleja said. He added that if she requested any compensation in case any of her items were damaged, Calleja would contact the site manager to reimburse her.

After 45 minutes, Calleja went on site and said that the sea had cleared up by then. He also pointed out how no one was hurt, but stressed that an event like this would not happen again.