Malta is a country where water is a precious commodity, yet every time heavy rain falls, we allow a significant amount of it to go to waste. Water rushes down our streets, enters the drainage system and eventually reaches the sea, instead of being collected and stored for future use. In a country with limited natural water resources, this should be a cause for serious concern.
The heavy rainfall experienced in recent days has once again exposed a problem that has been allowed to persist for far too long. We can certainly do more to ensure that the water nature provides does not simply disappear down a drain.
Our forefathers understood the importance of water conservation. They built wells and reservoirs to collect rainwater, recognising that the water falling during the wetter months would be needed during the drier periods. Their approach was shaped by necessity, but it was also an example of practical thinking that remains relevant today. In many respects, we appear to have lost sight of that basic principle.
Malta has changed considerably over the decades. Fields have been built over, open spaces have disappeared and an increasing proportion of the land is covered by buildings, roads and other impermeable surfaces. Rainwater that would once have soaked into the ground or been collected in wells now runs off these surfaces, often in large quantities. Yet the planning and infrastructure needed to deal with this reality have not kept pace with development.
The consequences are visible whenever there is intense rainfall. Streets become rivers, water accumulates in low-lying areas and large volumes are channelled into drainage systems. Much of this water could have been captured and put to use. Instead, a potentially valuable resource is lost.
The problem is compounded by the fact that some buildings reportedly discharge rainwater directly into the public sewage system rather than collecting it in wells. This is not merely a missed opportunity to conserve water. The sewage network is not designed to handle the additional volumes generated by heavy storms. The result can be overflowing sewage, pressure on infrastructure and additional costs as wastewater treatment plants have to process increased flows.
It is an absurd situation. A country that must invest considerable resources to secure its water supply is allowing rainwater to become an additional burden on its sewage infrastructure. The water is wasted, while public resources are spent dealing with the consequences.
Climate change makes the need to address this problem even more urgent. Heavy rainfall events are becoming a growing challenge, requiring infrastructure capable of coping with sudden and substantial volumes of water. It is no longer sufficient to treat intense storms as exceptional occurrences for which little preparation is necessary. Planning must reflect the conditions Malta is increasingly experiencing.
This requires more than reminding property owners of their responsibilities. The authorities must ensure that existing requirements for rainwater collection are enforced, that buildings comply with the relevant regulations and that breaches are addressed. Where the public drainage and sewage networks are inadequate, the necessary improvements must be identified and implemented.
There must also be a broader strategy for collecting rainwater from roads and other public spaces. Appropriate storage facilities, rainwater harvesting systems and infrastructure that allows water to be retained and reused should form part of Malta's planning priorities. Every development decision should take into account its implications for water conservation.
The Water Services Corporation and the other authorities responsible for planning, drainage and environmental management must work together to tackle these shortcomings.
Malta cannot afford to regard rainwater as something to be disposed of as quickly as possible. Every drop collected can help reduce demand on other water sources and ease the pressure on the country's infrastructure.