New 2024 Water Purification Grant Scheme in Malta

On 12th April 2024 by way of an announcement n the Government Gazette notice number 484 the Regulator for Energy and Water announced a A grant on the Purchase of Water Purifying Equipment with the intention that:

In order to reduce the use of plastic containers utilised for bottling water, the Regulator for Energy and Water Services is administering this grant on the purchase of equipment to purify water at home by reverse osmosis,  reverse osmosis system with reject water return and water filtration system.

Once again it is great to see the Government of Malta fully supporting the idea of reducing plastic bottle consumption for drinking water by encouraging the use of water filtration systems at home.

Applicant eligibility for the water Purification Grant

The 2024 call is open to applications with the following eligibility requirements:

• Homeowner
• Leaseholder with more than 5 years of lease remaining

Thus, anyone who has less than 5 years remaining of their lease is unable to apply for the grant, landlords and businesses are also excluded, but as TAPP Water has a lower cost than many systems they are a great option if you are renting a property in Malta - see our analysis at the end of the article. 

Types of water filter eligible for a grant in Malta

The Government Notice specifies 3 levels of grant for water filter systems in Malta:

Water Guard: Water filtration system. Grant Percentage and maximum: 40% on the purchase price and installation of Water Filtration System equipment subject to a maximum grant of €100. (AKA TAPP Water Filters)

RO Wave: Reverse Osmosis System. Grant Percentage and maximum: 15.25% on the purchase price and installation of Reverse Osmosis equipment subject to a maximum grant of €100.

RO Recycle: Reverse Osmosis System with reject water return. Grant Percentage and maximum: 40% on the purchase price and installation of Reverse Osmosis with reject water return subject to a maximum grant of €300.

TAPP Water Filters qualify under the Water Guard: Water filtration system and so are eligible for a 40% up to a maximum of €100 subject to the applicant meeting the eligibility requirements.

Important aspects of the 2024 Reverse Osmosis Grant in Malta

After carefully reviewing all the documentation and application we have put together a list of important aspects to consider in the 2024 reverse osmosis grant available in Malta.

• be a resident of Malta with ID card or resident permit
• install in a residential home not used for a business activity
• be the owner or the property OR be the holder of a lease of at least 5 years left to run at the time of purchase.
• not have obtained grants for this system or the same technology before
• not be a business or landlord
• have a personal bank account
• have the equipment available for inspection if so required
• accept that your data maybe published
• application must be within 6 months of fiscal receipt or termination of the grant
• payment of the grant means the receiver is subject to REWS audits
• a 2 year guarantee must be supplied on the equipment (EcoPro and EcoPro Compact is covered by a 2 year guarantee)
• payment made by the applicant (not a business) solely or together with other members of the household, the Fiscal Receipt is proof of payment
• the equipment must not be modified or degraded for 5 years following installation and is subject to inspection during this period
• keep all documentation for the grant and equipment for 5 years after payment of the grant
• electricity bill in the same name as the grant applicant AND the invoice AND the fiscal receipt

Easy Applications

The system for applications is much improved with an online form that does not require an e-id as before, and a printed paper form which you can download from the REWS website and then take to the REWS offices at:

Regulator for Energy and Water Services, 
Zentrum Business Centre, Level 1,
Mdina Road, 
Qormi, QRM 9010
Malta. 

Official Guidance Document for reverse osmosis grant in Malta

There is also a helpful guidance document for applicants on the REWS website and a copy is also available on our comprehensive help centre article. where we also provide a guide to completing the application form.

For complete instructions on the new grant system please consult our comprehensive help centre article or the REWS website.

Documents required for a grant application for water filter grant in Malta

A list of documents is needed for all applications to be considered:

• Copy of the ID Card
• Copy Electricity Bill within last 12 months for the premises. This must be in the same name as the invoice/fiscal receipt and grant applicant
• Photo of installed system
• Photo of system’s rating plates showing model and serial numbers- This does not apply in the case of EcoPro and EcoPro Compact and an application for Grant 1-Water Guard according to REWS
• Fiscal Receipt (please just ask if you need this from us)
• Invoice (You get this by email from us)
• Copy of lease agreement (if applicable) 

Cost comparison of various water filter and reverse osmosis systems for home owners in Malta

We have analysed for you the benefits as a home owner and also has a leaseholder with less than 5 years to run to see what your most cost effective choices are. We have used average costs based on our research of the water filter market in Malta

Lets look at the case for home owners in Malta first:

TAPP water Filters are just 1/3rd of the cost of the cheapest reverse osmosis systems with a lower cost of maintenance for any homeowner in Malta

With cheaper reverse osmosis systems there will be much higher water wastage so it would be important if you are considering these to ensure you reuse the reject water also because you get the higher grant, although your installation costs will be higher.

You may also want to consider the importance of remineralisation being part of any reverse osmosis system. Without remineralisation you may be missing out on important minerals in your drinking water as a reverse osmosis system in Malta removes all those healthy minerals during the process. No such issue with TAPP water Filters that are designed to retain all the healthy minerals whilst filtering 100+ contaminants.

Cost comparison of various water filter and reverse osmosis systems for tenants renting property in Malta

More than likely if you are renting property in Malta then you will have less than 5 years left on your lease agreement and so are excluded from applying for a water purification grant in Malta.

It will therefore be an expensive solution to consider any type of Reverse Osmosis System in Malta, however for clarity here are the figures:

At nearly half the cost of other systems TAPP Water EcoPro and EcoPro Compact are great choices if you are renting a property in Malta and a it is portable you can take it with you to your next property.