State 'duty-bound' to manage water better, says Partit Demokratiku

Malta needs to develop its own water strategy further, the Partit Demokratiku has argued, adding that Malta’s main water resource was currently dependant on the "energy-intensive" desalination of water.

In a statement, the PD called on the government to diversify Malta's sources of water, arguing that the current methods are affecting climate change.

Currently, water-management is dependant on desalination of water, which PD called “a scarce resource”.

“Optimise our water management; and to make sure that it is ensured for future generations to come," it told the government.

Speaking at the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), MP and PD member Godfrey Farrugia stressed that safe drinking water should be a priority for all countries.

“The economic well being of a country depends on the availability and affordability of safe drinking water," he said.

He commended Malta’s initiatives to treat sewage to reuse as water, encouraging other OSCE member states to do so.

In 2011, Malta became the first Mediterranean country to treat sewage before throwing it into the sea.  The plant cost €60 million and was inaugurated by then Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi.