St Paul’s Tank filled for the first time as €2.5 million project advances
Rehabilitation project will double reserve water capacity in the north of Malta
Water has begun flowing into the rehabilitated St Paul’s Tank in Miżieb for the first time in decades, marking a major milestone in a €2.5 million Water Services Corporation project through which the tank will be used for the first time as part of the system for the production of potable water across the north of Malta.
The tank, which was used around 30 years ago as a reservoir for other purposes, will now take on a new role within the water system. The project will establish a new water distribution route connecting the Naxxar Reservoir to Mellieħa. Once completed, this project will double the reserve capacity in the northern region and provide greater flexibility in how water is distributed during periods of high demand, maintenance work, or unexpected disruptions.
St Paul’s Reservoir, located within the Miżieb woodland and built in 1914, measures approximately 62 metres in length, 18 metres in width and 8.5 metres in height. Most of the structure was excavated underground, with only about one-tenth constructed above ground.
As part of the new system, water will flow from the Naxxar Reservoir along Kennedy Drive, the Xemxija bypass and Triq Għajn Tuffieħa towards l-Imbordin. From there, it will enter St Paul’s Tank before being pumped onwards to the Mellieħa Reservoir.
Minister Miriam Dalli visited the ongoing works together with Water Services Corporation CEO Karl Cilia, where she opened the valve allowing water to enter the reservoir for the first time.
Works on the project include the refurbishment of the reservoir and its surroundings, the removal of dilapidated structures, and excavation works carried out under continuous archaeological monitoring.
A new four-pump pumping station is also being constructed, together with a distribution board room and electrical substation. The project further includes new culverts for pipework and electrical services, the installation of the pumping system and associated electrical infrastructure, an upgraded outlet pipe between the reservoir and pump room, and new pipework connecting the Għajn Tuffieħa junction, l-Imbordin, St Paul’s Tank and the Mellieħa Reservoir.
“This project is giving new life to a reservoir built more than a century ago and putting it back to work for families and businesses in the north,” Minister Dalli said. “The first filling of the reservoir is an important milestone. Once the project is complete, reserve capacity in the region will double, strengthening security of supply and increasing resilience during periods of high demand.”
WSC CEO Karl Cilia said the Corporation’s technical teams had delivered the project in-house, from design through to implementation. “The rehabilitation of this historic reservoir, together with the new pumping station and pipework, will give us greater flexibility and resilience in how we move water across the north. It will also help us maintain supply to northern localities during planned maintenance or unexpected disruptions,” Mr Cilia said.
