Heritage Malta has been entrusted by the Water Services Corporation to digitize a collection of more than 15,000 historic plans for local water services.
These large-format plans, dating back over a hundred years, map the pipe systems, water pumping stations, boundaries, and public works and planning across Malta and Gozo.
Managed by Heritage Malta’s Technology and Experience Development Unit, the completed project will provide the Water Services Corporation with digital access to information that is vital to the corporation’s operations, enable faster searches and instant access to archives, and minimise damage to the original plans, which are quite fragile.
An update about the project’s progress was provided by Anthony Cassar, Head of the Technology and Experience Development Unit, during a visit to the unit by Minister for the National Heritage, the Arts, and Local Government, Owen Bonnici and by Minister for the Environment, Energy, and Enterprise, Miriam Dalli. Also present were the Chief Executive Officers of Heritage Malta and the Water Services Corporation, Noel Zammit and Karl Cilia, and the Chairperson of Heritage Malta, Mario Cutajar.
Minister Owen Bonnici explained that the scanning of the plans was only possible thanks to the large-format, high-resolution archiving scanner available at Heritage Malta. Besides scanning the plans themselves, the project also entails scanning the pencil annotations on the plans. “These annotations are of great importance as they often bear crucial information and comments that help planners and researchers better interpret the plans,” Minister Bonnici said.
Minister Miriam Dalli emphasised that this project is one of great importance not only for the Water Services Corporation but also for the country, whereby 15,000 architectural plans from the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century about the history of water in our country will be published.
“We are giving the general public access to an integral part of the history of the water sector in Malta, especially students and academics, to use this information as part of their research”, said Minister Dalli.
Heritage Malta’s Chief Executive Officer, Noel Zammit, spoke of the great benefits that historical artefacts can reap using the latest technology. He said that as the agency responsible for the preservation of cultural heritage and as the national aggregator for national cultural heritage data, Heritage Malta is continuously investing in digitization to ensure it is equipped with the necessary resources to digitize as much cultural heritage as possible.
The Water Services Corporation’s Chief Executive Officer, Karl Cilia, said, “The Corporation’s diverse collection has immense value and historical significance and includes architectural drawings, plans, and numerous ancient documents uncovered during our research for the ‘8000 Years of Water’ publication. The digitalization of these artifacts transcends mere preservation; it embodies our dedication to honouring our architectural and water heritage, ensuring its accessibility and inspiration for future generations.”
