Claims that the seawater discolouration at Balluta Bay was the result of raw sewage coming from its network are 'unfounded', the Water Services Corporation has said.
With reference to the reports surrounding Balluta Bay, the Water Services Corporation (WSC) said in a statement on Facebook that the green colour "is not the result of contamination from its network. The Corporation has investigated the matter thoroughly and is in a position to provide the following information."
"The Corporation had launched an investigation to determine the source and extent of the problem. This investigation confirmed that the contamination was unrelated to the WSC network. It transpired that a stormwater tunnel in the area was in severe disrepair, resulting in contaminants flowing directly into Balluta Bay. Even though the maintenance of stormwater tunnels falls outside WSC's remit, the Corporation proceeded with the required interventions to mitigate the issue. WSC staff took decisive action to clean and rebuild parts of the stormwater tunnel. However, due to the severe state of the tunnel, the cleanup process required a significant amount of time. The teams of workers worked diligently and cautiously for health and safety reasons to ensure a thorough cleanup and reconstruction."
It said that a large amount of debris, ranging from stone boulders to wooden planks and a variety of miscellaneous discarded items were removed from the tunnel. "While the cleanup and reconstruction process is now complete, the WSC continues to provide its support to monitor the situation."
"The green colouration occurred days after the cleanup. The WSC again analysed the situation and once again confirmed it is unrelated to its network. WSC regrets the unfounded claims on social media that the seawater discolouration was the result of raw sewage coming from our network. We urge the public to be cautious of inaccurate comments coming from unreliable sources. Only information provided by the relevant authorities responsible for investigating such incidents should be regarded as credible by the public."
"The relevant authorities will determine the reopening of the bay once the necessary testing is completed."
The Times of Malta previously reported a WSC official as saying that cracks in the storm water tunnel caused sewage water to leak into it, eventually ending up in the sea.