The use of treated sewage water in Maltese agriculture

Abstract

It is a fact that the Maltese islands have to face the problem of water shortage. In winter, rainy periods are scarce and in summer it is very hot and dry. Malta and Gozo are mostly relying on reverse osmosis to cover the demand of potable water; this tends to be very expensive. With regards to agriculture, one can notice an excessive use of groundwater resources. This dissertation concentrates mostly on the present and also the possible use of treated sewage water for agriculture. Two questionnaires were formulated, one targeted to farmers and the other targeted to consumers. These showed the frequency of this second class water usage, what can be done to tackle water scarcity and also what does the consumer and the farmer think about treated sewage effluent as well as the consumption of products which are irrigated with treated sewage water.