Żebbuġ Cleans 90,000 Litres of Sludge from Council Underground Reservoir

20 October 2026, 19:01

Workers in Ħaż-Żebbuġ have completed an extensive cleaning operation inside a large underground reservoir situated directly beneath the local council offices. The intervention saw workers clear more than 90,000 litres of accumulated sludge and silt that had settled across the floor over decades of disuse.

The completion of the works was announced by Ħaż-Żebbuġ mayor Steve Zammit Lupi, who confirmed that cleaning teams had successfully reached the bedrock floor of the subterranean cistern. Footage and images published by the mayor documented the final stages of the operation, showing the stone-vaulted chamber cleared of waste material.

The clean-up forms part of an initiative launched by the local council to restore one disused water cistern in the locality each year. Under the programme, the local administration intends to preserve traditional rainwater storage infrastructure and return neglected municipal heritage assets to functional order.

Underground reservoirs of this scale were historically excavated beneath Maltese public buildings, streets, and squares to harvest rainwater for community use. Over recent decades, many of these systems have fallen into disrepair, blocked by accumulated debris, urban runoff, and a lack of regular maintenance.

By restoring the storage capacity of the reservoir beneath its premises, the local council aims to collect and repurpose rainwater for public maintenance tasks. This includes watering local trees, maintaining landscaped areas, and servicing municipal street-washing vehicles without relying on potable water supplies.

The local council plans to survey other historic reservoirs across Ħaż-Żebbuġ in the coming months, identifying further locations suitable for restoration to strengthen local water conservation and catchment.