Engineer, the New Water section

Jake Diedo is an engineer with the Water Services Corporation in Malta, where he leads the New Water section. This innovative project is dedicated to converting treated sewage water into a high-quality resource for agricultural purposes, significantly reducing the reliance on Malta’s limited freshwater supplies. Farmers are the primary users of this “new water,” which is distributed through a network of over 650 dispensers across Malta and Gozo. In his interview, Jake detailed the technical aspects of the filtration process, which involves multiple stages including ultraviolet (UV) treatment to ensure the water meets stringent safety standards. He discussed the current scale of the project, which already supports a significant portion of the island’s agricultural needs, and shared the team’s ambitions to expand the system further. Jake also addressed the successes of the project, such as the positive reception from farmers who initially were skeptical of using treated sewage water but now rely on it heavily. However, he also acknowledged challenges, including issues of misuse where the water, provided at a minimal cost, is sometimes diverted for non-agricultural purposes. Despite these challenges, Jake remains focused on optimizing the system, including the integration of new technologies like solar-powered dispensers and fiber-optic communication for better monitoring and management.