New Water
The aim of the Highly Polished Tertiary Treated Water (HPTTW) plants is to provide the new water resource for irrigation for agricultural purposes. Reuse of treated wastewater can be considered as a reliable water supply, independent from seasonal drought and weather variability and able to cover peaks of water demand. This can be very beneficial to farming activities that can rely on reliable continuity of water supply during the irrigation period, consequently reducing the risk of crop failure and income losses. Appropriate consideration for nutrients in treated wastewater could also reduce the use of additional fertilisers resulting in savings for the environment, farmers and wastewater treatment.
The project will also contribute towards the reduction in groundwater abstraction. Groundwater is an indispensable inland water resource mainly because it is the only renewable water resource in the country, and it constitutes a significant source for water provision in the Maltese Islands. Through the project, reliance on groundwater by the agricultural sector shall be decreased given that they shall be provided with an alternative source of water supply through the new distribution network. Reliance on road transportation shall also be reduced significantly by the creation of the distribution network which will in turn result in positive environmental effects including the reduction of CO2 emissions.
The investments will result in reducing emissions which in turn reduces the use of fossil fuels through the decrease in reliance on road transportation to transport the HPTTW for agricultural use through the distribution network which is a more efficient method of transporting the HPTTW. This is in line with the climate change cross-cutting objective which requires investments in physical assets to reducing emissions from using fossil fuels.
This project is part financed by the European Union
