Anyone who’s admired the serene views of Mġarr ix-Xini and its surrounding valleys will likely recognise the old stone structure nestled within the greenery, but few know the fascinating history behind it.

Recently highlighted by the weather page ‘It-Temp Madwarna’, the Mġarr ix-Xini Pumping Station dates back to the late 19th century, when Gozo’s water supply depended almost entirely on natural springs and rainwater collected in wells and cisterns.

Following a severe drought in 1887 and 1888, the British colonial authorities were forced to find new ways to secure the island’s water supply. Engineer Osbert Chadwick – whose name lives on in Malta’s Wied il-Qlejgħa (Chadwick Lakes) – proposed drilling shafts in the valley of Mġarr ix-Xini, where geological conditions suggested underground reserves of water.

By 1897, when the source at Għajnsielem could no longer meet Gozo’s growing demand, his proposal was adopted, and construction of the pumping station began.

The project was a remarkable feat of engineering for its time. It featured underground shafts and galleries that collected groundwater, which was then drawn up by a coal-fired steam engine – parts of which can still be seen today. The complex also included rock-hewn chambers, bridges, and tunnels carrying pipes to reservoirs in Nadur and Ta’ Ċenċ, allowing water to flow by gravity to several Gozitan villages.

Over the decades, the facility was modernised multiple times: another steam engine was added between 1925 and 1927, and in 1949, new electric pumps were installed.

However, when a new and more efficient pumping station opened in Xewkija in 1959, the Mġarr ix-Xini site became economically unsustainable and was eventually decommissioned in the late 1960s.

Today, the Mġarr ix-Xini Pumping Station stands as a monument to Malta’s industrial heritage, a silent testament to the ingenuity and technical skill of colonial-era engineers watching over the swimmers and hikers of today.

Have you ever spotted the old pumping station?