Abstract
The Maltese Islands have long suffered from a water resource problem to the extent that extensive reliance is made on desalination by reverse osmosis technology. Whilst this has solved the quantitative problem, it is undoubtedly amore expensive technology when compared to groundwater extraction. Moreover, the carbon footprint of desalinated water is much higher than that of groundwater due to the energy intensive nature of desalination. Notwithstanding, groundwater resources have been exploited to such an extent that current estimations of an annual extraction of 34 hm3 are 11 hm3 in excess of sustainable extraction levels. The Maltese Islands are also highly urbanised and it is estimated that, in urban areas, up to 80% of runoff could be lost to the sea depending on the geography and land use of the catchment. This resource could potentially be useful in recharging existing aquifers. The aim of this paper is to characterise the quality of stormwater derived from one of Malta's most urbanised catchments with a view to determining its suitability for reuse and recharge.
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