Industrial/Commercial

Discharge of Trade Effluent / Industrial Sewage to the Public Sewerage System

The Regulator for Energy and Water Services regulates the Water Services Corporation (WSC) as the sole entity in Malta licensed to supply water through the public water distribution network and to provide sewerage services using the public sewage collection system.  The licence is issued under the Water Supply and Sewerage Services Regulations.

A Customer Contract issued by the Water Services Corporation under the terms of the licence and which has been approved by the Regulator for Energy and Water Services, establishes the rights and obligations of the Water Services Corporation and its customers.
 
Any person who wishes his trade premises to be connected to and dispose of trade effluent / industrial sewage and/or wastewater through the public sewage collection system is required to submit an application in writing to the Water Services Corporation.
 
Trade premises is defined as any land or building, used partly or in whole for the purposes of undertaking any commercial, or industrial activity, and any premises wholly or mainly used (whether for profit or not) for agriculture, or animal husbandry, or horticultural purposes or for scientific research or experiment.
Trade effluent ” means any liquid (either with or without particles of matter in suspension or dissolved in it), other than stormwater run-off and domestic sewage, which is discharged from trade premises, and as described in regulation 4 of the Sewage Discharge Control Regulations.
Industrial sewage means any sewage and, or wastewater which is discharged from premises used for the carrying out of any trade, practice, activity or industry, other than domestic sewage and run-off rainwater.
 
Further details may also be obtained from the WSC Customer Contract. 

The fees in relation to connection to the public sewage collection system are regulated by the Development Planning (Fees) Regulations.  The Development Planning (Fees) Regulations.establish that an Infrastructure Services Contribution made up of Sewer and Street contributions is charged with respect to each application for permission to carry out development.  

The contribution is paid towards the cost of infrastructure services and other services and facilities arising from the permission to develop any land.  The fees are paid as part of the development application fees and the applicable rates for sewer contributions are established as follows:

The application fee for a sewer discharge permit is established by Regulation 7 (5) of the Sewage Discharge Control Regulations and amounts to €11.65.

In the case where:

• a person takes over the occupation of a premises which is already served with a water service connection to the public water supply and a sewer connection to the sewage collection system, an application is required to be submitted to the Water Services Corporation though ARMS Ltd for registration of change in consumer and an application for a sewer discharge permit is also required to be submitted;
• any premises leased to any other person not permanently resident in Malta for longer than one quarter, the person who owns or administers or who has control of such premises is also required to notify the WSC as established in Regulation 10 of the Water Supply Regulations; 
• any premises  leased to any person, either expressly or tacitly, by the week, by the month or for not more than one quarter, or when the premises, being let for more than one quarter, is in fact occupied by the tenant for less than one quarter, the person who owns or administers or has under his control such premises is liable jointly and severally with the lessee for any debt incurred by the latter on account of meter rent and of water supply to that premises.

Further details may be obtained from ARMS Ltd:  www.arms.com.mt

Any person who wishes to connect to connect his premises to and dispose of trade effluent to the public sewerage collection system is required to submit an application to the Water Services Corporation.
No person may discharge any trade effluent from any trade premises into the public sewerage system unless he holds a public sewer discharge permit issued to him by the Water Services Corporation.
 
Trade effluent discharge is regulated by the Sewage Discharge Control Regulations
 
The WSC also provides technical guidance and supervision to the customer such that he may connect to the sewage collection system and such works are also required to carried out in accordance with the Construction of Houses and Drains Regulations.
 
In the case where no sewerage system is installed (e.g. remote areas) then the WSC is obliged to provide design for a cesspit to be constructed at the consumer’s expense and subject to the approval of the relevant authorities.  In such cases the WSC also provides a cesspit emptying service for free for domestic applications only.
 
Further details may also be obtained from the WSC Customer Contract. 

In Malta the Water Services Corporation is the sole water supplier regulated by the Regulator for Energy and Water Services licensed to supply potable water through a distribution network and to collect sewage through the sewage collection system.

Any person who wishes to apply for:

• a registration of a change in consumer;
• a change in the billing tariff;
• a temporary recognition of a tenant in rented premises;

is required to submit such an application in writing to ARMS Ltd.

Further details may be obtained from ARMS Ltd: www.arms.com.mt

The WSC Customer Contract establishes provisions for receipt of customer complaints.

Complaints should be submitted to WSC / ARMS Ltd.:

• either through their websites – www.wsc.com.mt and www.arms.com.mt 
• or by phoning Customer Contract Centre on freephone 80072222;
• or by visiting ARMS Ltd. Customer Care Offices at: Gattard House, Triq Nazzjonali, Blata l-Bajda, or WSC Office in Triq ta’ Wara s-Sur, Victoria, Gozo.

Any person who wishes to apply for claim for damages is required to submit an application in writing to ARMS Ltd.

In the case where a consumer has exhausted all complaint handling process with the WSC and/or ARMS Ltd and feels aggrieved by the decision made or feels that his complaint has not been adequately addressed, he may submit a complaint regarding his dispute to REWS under the Dispute Resolution (Procedure) Regulations (S.L.545.30).  Further details on how such a complaint may be submitted to REWS may be found here:  (Filing a Complaint)

Any person requiring assistance to pay his bill should contact the WSC Credit Control.  Further details may also be obtained from the WSC Customer Contract

Any person with special needs requiring such assistance should contact the WSC regarding any requests for special assistance.

The Water Services Corporation is set up by the Water Services Corporation Act  (Chapter 355 of the Laws of Malta).

The WSC is also regulated by the Regulator for Energy and Water Services in accordance with the Regulator for Energy and Water Services Act and the Water Supply and Sewerage Services Regulations.

The Construction of Houses and Drains Regulations establish provisions related to  the construction of drains, sewer connections, cesspits,  inspection chambers etc.

The Code of Police Laws (Chapter 10 of the Laws of Malta) also establish further provisions regarding:

• the rules to be observed in the construction of houses including the connection with the public sewer;
• the powers of the Superintendent for Public Health to ensure compliance to such rules and provisions;
• the duties of owners of premises in relation to easements and in relation to access for fixing of ventilators to public sewers.

The Sewage Discharge Control Regulations establishes provisions related to:

• applications and requirements for sewer discharge permits;
• effluents prohibited to be discharged to the public sewage system;
• quality of effluent discharge and maximum discharge concentration values;
• permit conditions;
• powers granted to the Water Services Corporation
• disclosure of information;
• offences;
• powers of courts to order abatement of nuisance etc.
• Recover of damages by civil process.