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5 NEWS 6.7.2023 THE promotion of rainwater conserva- tion was the main topic on the agenda during another interesting and inform- ative conference, which was recently organised by Water Services Corpora- tion (WSC) and e Energy & Water Agency (EWA). e latter, since Sep- tember 2019, has been coordinating a nationwide campaign, WATER Be e Change in promoting the importance of water conservation. 'Rainwater Management – An Un- tapped Resource' was the title chosen for this one-day convention. e con- ference forms part of another initiative as part of an effective educational and awareness campaign on the optimised and efficient use of water resources to facilitate a cultural shift in people's be- haviour towards water conservation. e aim of the conference was to bring various stakeholders from the regulato- ry, enforcement, planning, utilities, and public and private sectors together to discuss the important theme of rain- water management in an urban setting to outline and promote how we can en- sure the maximum utilisation of rain- water runoff generated in our premises whilst curbing the present misuse of the wastewater infrastructure and its ad- verse collateral impacts. Rainwater conservation in the Mal- tese Islands has always been a subject of utmost interest in view of the inher- ent scarcity of accessible freshwater re- sources. Our forefathers recognised the importance of collecting this important natural resource by constructing under- ground cisterns to give every household a certain degree of independence when it comes to meeting its water needs. In today's world, water availability is no longer seemingly a problem. As a result, safe drinking water is taken for granted to the detriment of natural re- sources that are coming under ever-in- creasing pressures to sustain the local population. en again, society today is more environmentally conscious, and the country has legal obligations to preserve its natural water resources to safeguard their availability for future generations. is issue inevitably prompts a discus- sion on the need to conserve rainwater and to effectively reinstate in us the need to treat it as a valuable resource like our ancestors did out of necessity. e Water Services Corporation, as the entity responsible for the collection and treatment of wastewater, is very much impacted by the longstanding problem of unauthorised connections of rainwa- ter runoff to its sewer network. Fuelled by extensive urbanisation over the past 30 to 40 years, this problem has grown exponentially to the extent that it is no longer sustainable. Sewer overflows, sewage backflows into private residenc- es, sewage treatment plant process and network infrastructure overloading can now be witnessed during the mildest bouts of rainfall, to the detriment of the population and WSC operations at large. Elaine Saliba, a Process Engineer at e Water Service Corporation, hosted the event. Karl Cilia, Chief Executive Officer at the Water Services Corporation, gave an introductory speech, whilst high- lighting "sewage overflow as one of the main issues that is still of concern for Malta." He Cilia emphasised on the impor- tance "to come together and solve this issue of sewage overflow. e conference also included various presentations, which were delivered by different experts in the sector along with two panel discussions, which con- tinued to explore potential opportuni- ties, challenges, and in understanding the importance of rainwater harvesting and better rainwater management. e conference also included various presentations from foreign speakers to outline the approach and measures adopted in other European members states for integrated rainwater manage- ment. e campaign team members of 'Wa- ter Be the Change' attended this event, and they had the opportunity to dis- play and distribute related merchandise items to all participants. Conference promotes better utilisation of rainwater as an untapped resource FOCAL Maritime Services has an- nounced the appointment of Char- lene Barbara and Patrick Saliba, two long-serving employees of the compa- ny, who have now assumed managerial responsibilities for freight forwarding and business development respectively. Barbara joined Focal Maritime Servic- es in 2003 as a clerk and has assumed a range of different responsibilities throughout her career with the compa- ny. Saliba joined in 2009 and has been instrumental in the development of freight forwarding within the company. ese two promotions underscore Focal Maritime Services' commitment to continuous improvement and main- taining its position as a major player in the services-based maritime industry. By carefully aligning personnel with their areas of expertise and providing opportunities for career advancement, the company aims to optimize opera- tional processes and achieve higher lev- els of customer satisfaction. "ese new appointments are part of our wider efforts in achieving greater agility and effectiveness within our or- ganisation," stated Silvan Fleri, Gener- al Manager of Focal Maritime Services. "By capitalizing on the diverse skill sets and expertise of our talented team, we will continue to improve on our service offering, reflecting what our clients have told us in the regular feedback that we have sought and thus and remain at the forefront of the wide service offering in the maritime indus- try." Focal Maritime Services appoints freight forwarding and business development managers

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