Birżebbuġa beach closed after sewage overflow due to discarded nappy

A baby nappy wrapped in a towel could have been discarded into the sewage system after opening a manhole cover, causing a sewage overflow in Birżebbuġa and leading to a beach closure.

The Environmental Health Directorate said bathing at St George’s Bay, Birżebbuġa was not recommended due to the sewage overflow that could have affected bathing water quality and might present a risk to bathers’ health.

Necessary works which identified the source of the problem – material that should not have been disposed of in the main sewer – were carried out by the Water Services Corporation and also included the cleaning of the beach.

The WSC said it believes the disposal of the nappy was deliberate. “This irresponsible, premeditated act not only disrupted services but also caused a drainage blockage, which in turn resulted in the beach being flooded. The WSC has filed a police report, and the authorities are currently reviewing the CCTV footage from the area.”

As a precaution the beach was closed, and samples were taken to determine if the water quality was affected. At this stage it cannot be predicted if the sewage overflow has reached the sea.