GEMS Meets in Malta

Groundwater in the Spotlight

The meeting opened with welcoming remarks from Mr. Manuel Sapiano (EWA), who emphasized the relevance of the event for informing the revision of the EU Nitrates Directive. Mr. Jose Sandoval, General Director of Water for the Region of Murcia, reiterated the importance of groundwater resources and the strong commitment of all GEMS partners to collaborative progress.

Sharing Knowledge: Thematic Workshop on Groundwater Monitoring

The thematic workshop brought together 25 participants, including stakeholders and representatives from the project’s eight partner regions. The session focused on exchanging good practices related to groundwater monitoring and data systems. Presentations showcased regional strategies, tools, and technologies aimed at improving groundwater quality and preventing nitrate pollution from agricultural sources.

Some highlights included:

• EWA (Malta) shared their national groundwater monitoring system, including data collection in the unsaturated zone and measures to tackle seawater intrusion.

• Murcia (Spain) presented precision agriculture techniques that reduce nitrate leaching and optimize irrigation using soil moisture sensors.

• Denmark’s EPA discussed nitrate monitoring and groundwater age estimation as tools for evaluating agricultural impacts.

• Austria’s BAW highlighted the use of nitrate monitoring as a regulatory tool supported by empirical data.

• Slovakia’s Water Research Institute shared how a dedicated monitoring network supports early warning and policy intervention.

• Belgium’s Flemish Environment Agency presented their dense phreatic and primary groundwater monitoring networks.

• France’s Grand Est Chamber of Agriculture described long-term measurement of under-root nitrogen losses to evaluate fertilization practices.

These exchanges fostered rich dialogue and built a common understanding of what best practices could be transferable across regions.

Field Visit: Monitoring Innovation in Practice

On 2 October, participants visited key groundwater monitoring sites in Malta:

• Misrah Suffara Spring and Monitoring Station, which tracks natural groundwater flow.

• Groundwater Multilevel Monitoring and Automated Weather Station, providing real-time environmental data.

• Vadose Monitoring System by Sensoil, one of 16 stations across Malta measuring water quantity and quality in aquifer recharge zones.

• The National Water Conservation Awareness Centre, an educational hub engaging students and citizens on water, energy, and sustainability.

These visits offered hands-on insight into Malta’s innovative approaches to managing groundwater in a water-scarce environment.

Next Steps

Looking ahead, partners will finalize their Regional Groundwater Assessments and submit good practices for validation. These will form the basis for future workshops and peer reviews, with the next project meeting scheduled to take place in Austria.

The GEMS project continues to build momentum, strengthening collaboration and knowledge exchange across Europe to address one of the most urgent environmental challenges: nitrate pollution in groundwater.