Vittoriosa - The water Saving City

The rehabilitated reservoir in Victory Square provides a new source of water for second class uses within the city such as street cleaning and the irrigation of urban landscaping.

Vittoriosa has a rich water conservation history, expressed through the numerous public and private cisterns located within its urban area.  These cisterns, if effectively used, provide an opportunity for optimizing the management of rainwater runoff flows within the city reducing the risk of urban flooding and increasing the sustainability of urban activities.

The ALTERAQUA Project, through this intervention, aims to raise awareness on the important role of rainwater harvesting as an alternative (or non-conventional) water resource for addressing urban water demands. 

The use of non-conventional water resources for urban purposes requiring second class water, improves the sustainability of our activities.  This, in alignment with the objectives of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Targets 6.4 and 6.b under SDG6 – Clean Water and Sanitation.

Target 6.4: By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity.

Target 6.b: Support and strengthen the participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management.

Through the effective use of Non-Conventional Water Resources, and the involvement of the local community in the rehabilitation of the Victory Square reservoir, ALTERAQUA provides a tangible example of sustainability for the Urban Environment – a key step in building sustainable and resilient communities.

1847,Reservoir outside the main gates of Vittoriosa which lies in a state of neglect.
Photo credit: Steve Mallia (Il-Ġibjun)

Reservoir at the Inquisitor’s Place in Vittoriosa
Photo credit: Steve Mallia (Il-Ġibjun)