Malta Water Association (MWA): National Water Plan should be priority

Malta Water Association have proposed objectives for the National Water Plan, which they believe should be a ‘top priority’, as they state in their 2012 document ‘Towards Integrated Water Management in Malta- Recommendations to Political Parties’.

They  report that 90% of Malta’s aquifers do not meet good status today and it is unlikely that any of the current water management measures will restore Malta’s groundwater to reinstate it as a major contributor of drinking water for the Islands.

Proposed objectives for the National Water Plan are: to establish goals that will ensure the conservation of Malta's water resources; maximise the capture, storage and use of rainwater (and alleviate flooding); maximise the potential of treated sewage effluent; provide a water policy framework based on high quality data and analysis as a foundation for all future water planning, pricing, and public investment in the sector; ensure that all water sources are treated as a valued and scarce economic resource; replace current myths and incorrect assumptions about Malta's water supply with accurate and candid public education; improve Malta's managerial and analytical capacity for the water sector; and update the currently ambiguous and incomplete regulatory framework.

Malta Water Association has embarked on a process towards the development of the Terms of Reference for such a plan, which would be forwarded to all three parties, who have confirmed their commitment to the plan.

The Association hope that the National Water Plan will soon be started by the Government, charting the actions which Malta should take to ensure that water sustainability can be attained by no later than 2027, the date which coincides with Malta’s request for an extension of its obligations with respect to the Water Framework Directive.