Overview of groundwater issues in Malta: technical challenges, economic and territorial issues
The extent of groundwater nitrate contamination in Malta is influenced by agricultural practices, and improving our understanding of recharge in agricultural fields is important for sustainable management. To support this, EWA is piloting the installation of rain gauges across representative agricultural land uses, as part of the CLEPSYDRA project. These rain gauges will provide site-specific data on rainfall, which would help to quantify recharge and assess how water moving through the vadose zone may carry nitrate to the underlying aquifers.
PILOTS 1, 2 & 3: SANT’ANTNIN – GĦAMMIERI – ISQOF WHEAT
Wheat fields can receive frequent manure applications, which increase the risk of nitrate leaching into groundwater. As rainfall is the only water input, precise onsite measurements from the rain gauge (with data logger) are essential. This rainfall data links directly to water content and chemical data from the Vadose Zone Monitoring system, improving recharge and nitrate transport assessments.
PILOTE 4: QRENDI
Potato cultivation is an important cash crop in Maltese agriculture. While potatoes are irrigated, precise measurement of rainfall input remains essential to determine the total water balance. Installing a rain gauge with a data logger ensures accurate rainfall data, which, combined with the Vadose Zone Monitoring system, improves assessments of water input, nitrate transport, and groundwater impacts.
PILOTE 5: BURMARRAD
This vineyard site was selected due to its shallow unsaturated zone thickness, which makes the groundwater below highly sensitive to rainfall and nitrate leaching. Installing a rain gauge with a data logger provides precise rainfall measurements. Combined with data from the Vadose Zone Monitoring system, this allows accurate assessment of water input, nitrate transport, and potential groundwater impacts.
OWER VIEW – PERSPECTIVE
Installing rain gauges across key agricultural land uses in Malta will provide site-specific rainfall data required to refine recharge estimates and nitrate transport, strengthening evidence-based groundwater management.
