The Water Services Corporation (WSC) said Tuesday it is strengthening both the quality assurance, and resilience of Malta's drinking water supply, by rigorously testing of water produced at reverse osmosis plants at their in-house ISO/IEC 17025-accredited central laboratory.
The accreditation is recognised internationally as the standard for testing and calibration in laboratories. It provides independent assurance that WSC's testing methods, equipment and procedures meet established standards of accuracy and reliability.
Water produced by WSC undergoes continuous monitoring throughout the production process, followed by regular sampling and laboratory analysis. This is done to ensure compliance with national and European drinking water standards.
During a visit to the Għar Lapsi reverse osmosis plant, as part of the '100 jum bis-saħħa tiegħek' campaign, Minister Dr Miriam Dalli followed this process firsthand together with Inġ. Mark Bugeja, from the collection of a water sample directly from the production line through to its analysis at WSC's Central Laboratory.
Under the guidance of WSC sampling staff, the Minister collected a sample of product water before carrying out a supervised laboratory test alongside Laboratory Manager Dr David Spiteri and Lab Chemist Diandra Briffa.
The quality controls form part of a wider programme of investment aimed at strengthening Malta's water security, increasing production capacity and reducing the environmental impact of water production.
At Għar Lapsi, WSC is currently developing a new €35 million reverse osmosis facility, known as Plant B. The new facility will include six reverse osmosis systems with a combined production capacity of 30,000 cubic metres of potable water per day. The existing plant will remain fully operational throughout construction.
The project forms part of WSC's National Investment Plan, through which more than €400 million will be invested in Malta's water infrastructure over the coming decade.
Additionally, WSC has also completed a new solar energy installation on site at Ghar Lapsi, consisting of 888 photovoltaic panels, having a combined capacity of 515 kWp. This €600,000 investment was financed through WSC's Green Bonds programme and covers approximately 3,300 square metres. The investment is expected to generate around 820,000 kWh of clean electricity each year, equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of approximately 190 households.
"Ensuring a secure water supply is not only about producing enough water. It is also about maintaining the highest standards of quality, investing in the infrastructure Malta will need in the years ahead, and making that production more sustainable. The work being carried out at Għar Lapsi brings these priorities together: rigorous quality control, increased production capacity and greater use of clean energy," Dalli said.
"Water quality is monitored at every stage of our operations, supported by a laboratory working to internationally recognised standards. At the same time, we are investing substantially in additional production capacity and in reducing the energy footprint of our infrastructure. The developments at Għar Lapsi reflect WSC's long-term approach to ensuring a reliable, high-quality and increasingly sustainable water supply," WSC CEO Karl Cilia added.
WSC produces around 30 million cubic metres of water annually resulting from a blend of water produced from reverse osmosis plants and groundwater sources.