Malta's tap water: perfectly healthy, but taste leaves little to be desired
Water Services says high chloride and sodium levels affecting taste of tap water
James Debono Maltese tap water is totally safe to drink, even if its taste is negatively affected by high levels of chloride and sodium, according to the Water Services Corporation annual report.
The corporation carried out over 45,000 tests on 4,300 samples it collected between August 2007 and December 2008. The successful tests measured chemical, physical and microbiological parameters listed in the Food Safety Act, and nitrates levels, which posed a serious health problem in the 1980s. Neither did any sample test positive for pesticides.
But all samples surpassed the recommended levels of chloride, which is not health-related but affects taste.
According to the World Health Organisation, excessive chloride can increase the rate of corrosion of metals in the distribution system, and this can lead to increased concentrations of metals in the water supply.
The WHO states that “no health-based guideline value is proposed for chloride in drinking-water. However, chloride concentrations in excess of about 250mg/litre can give rise to detectable taste in water.”
According to the Water Services Corporation, the high levels of chloride in tap water is the result of Malta’s hydro-geological characteristics, which affects all water zones on the island.
94% of samples also exceeded the recommended levels of sodium, except for the areas of Cirkewwa and Comino.
Sodium has no impact on human health but according to the WHO, concentrations in excess of 200mg/litre may give rise to “unacceptable taste”.
Six per cent of all water samples also exceeded standards for conductivity, which measures the presence of mineral salts dissolved in water. The localities exceeding the recommended value of conductivity were Mellieha, Victoria and Xaghra.
Groundwater supplies are the source of 43% of water, but its quality is being deteriorated due to over-extraction from usually private, and illegal boreholes.
This makes it imperative for the WSC to improve the quality of the water it produces by Reverse Osmosis, which is blended with groundwater to ensure that tap water abides to set parameters.
Despite the relatively good quality of Maltese tap water, its poor taste could be the main reason why many people opt for bottled mineral water. A recent survey published on newspaper Illum showed that 63% of respondents rely on bottled water as the main supply for their drinking water.
Ironically, the source of most bottled water produced in Malta is derived from treated tap water.
Any comments?
If you wish your comments to be published in our Letters pages please click button below. Please write a contact number and a postal address where you may be contacted.
Search:
MALTATODAY
BUSINESSTODAY
Download MaltaToday Sunday issue front page in pdf file format
All the interviews from Reporter on MaltaToday's YouTube channel.
