Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1537397
GozoToday is a weekly newspaper focused primarily on Gozo. It hopes to serve as a source of information on business, culture, entertainment and of course current affairs. Gozo has a special charm about it but it is also a bustling Island with an identity of its own. GozoToday is published every Friday and is available to numerous outlets in Gozo and on the ferries that carry so many visitors to Gozo from Malta and beyond. GozoToday MediaToday Co. Ltd, Vjal ir-Rihan San Gwann SGN 9016 ASSISTANT EDITOR: LAURA CALLEJA Tel: (356) 21 382741-3, 21 382745-6 Website: www.maltatoday.com.mt E-mail: dailynews@mediatoday.com.mt 3 maltatoday | FRIDAY • 11 JULY 2025 NEWS Gozitan farmers are still waiting for the new water system - PN DESPITE years of promises and repeated deadlines, Gozitan farmers are still without access to the Second-Class Water System, an infrastructure project "meant to deliv- er treated, non-potable water to support sustainable agriculture on the island", PN candidate Luke Said said in a statement. The project, which was first announced in 2017, aims to treat domestic wastewa- ter through a dedicated "polishing plant" and distribute it to farmers via smart dis- pensing points. Designed to reflect circu- lar economy principles, the system was expected to help Gozo manage its water resources more efficiently amid growing climate pressures. However, farmers and stakeholders voiced frustration at a press conference held earlier in the week, highlighting a long trail of missed deadlines and unful- filled commitments. "We've heard the same lines for nearly eight years," the PN candidate said. "Farmers are still waiting. The system still isn't working. And the summer is getting drier." A timeline of missed targets was laid out during the event: • March 2017: Officials claimed the plant was "in an advanced stage." • August 2018: Reports said water was being distributed from three points. • March 2022 & October 2022: The project was declared complete—on- ly to be contradicted a month later. • Q3 2023 & Q3 2024: New phases were promised, with operational sta- tus expected by mid-2025. Now, with July 2025 underway, farmers say they are left with nothing but more uncertainty and no access to the promised water supply. They have called on the Water Servic- es Corporation and the Ministry for the Environment to "stop shifting deadlines and dodging responsibility." They urged authorities to complete the project im- mediately, warning that prolonged delays continue to threaten local agriculture and water security. "Half of Gozo's farmers are still waiting," Said said. "They need access to water, not more excuses, and definitely not more prayers for rain." CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Furthermore, Għasri had the lowest pop- ulation density in Gozo, at 103.3 people per square kilometre, while Victoria had the high- est, at 2,595.8 people per square kilometre. Population density varied across Gozo in 2024. Fontana had the second-highest density on the island, with 2,423.5 people per square kilometre. In contrast, Għajnsielem and Comino had a much lower density of 524.5 people per square kilometre. NSO data also showed a growing presence of foreign residents in Gozo. In Żebbuġ, the number of foreign residents (1,771) was close to that of Maltese residents (1,968). In Munxar, foreign nationals made up 42.7% of the population, with 822 out of 1,923 resi- dents holding non-Maltese citizenship. Foreign populations were also present in smaller localities. San Lawrenz had 796 res- idents, and Ta' Sannat had 2,260, both show- ing signs of increased foreign residency. The average population density across Gozo and Comino was 600.9 people per square kilometre, significantly lower than urban ar- eas in Malta. The data indicates that the re- gion continues to maintain lower density and slower population growth compared to the main island. The total population of Malta and Gozo at the end of 2024 reached 574,250, marking a 1.9% increase from the previous year. This growth was largely due to net migration, which accounted for 10,614 additional resi- dents. Of the total population, 70.6% were Maltese citizens, while 29.4% were foreign nationals. There were 304,947 men and 269,303 wom- en. Victoria most populous town in Gozo, NSO says Population density