Water: The Next Lap
PUB may have won the 2007 Stockholm Industry Water Award for its sterling water management system. But what of the future? We find out how leading water players are contributing to the water technology R&D scene.
Water shortages, flooding, polluted rivers and a reliance on imported water. This was all part of the Singapore water story in the ’60s and ’70s. Fast forward 40 years and today, Singapore is making waves internationally with its exemplary, award-winning
water management system that ensures its growing population — 4.5 million at last count — an affordable and sustainable source of water supply.
So how did a small city state of 700 sq km, surrounded by the ocean but challenged with few fresh water resources, manage to sort out its water woes with such success?
Armed with a strategic long-term view to secure alternative sources of water, PUB, the national water agency, made the decision to invest heavily in new technologies. Today, the nation has created a robust, stable and diversified water supply system known as the Four National Taps which relies on four main sources: water from local catchment, imported water from Johor, Malaysia, NEWater and desalinated water.
Singapore is also one of the first countries in the world to fully exploit the idea of urban catchment. By 2009, with the completion of three new reservoir schemes, including the Marina Reservoir, Singapore’s first reservoir right in the heart of the city centre, two-thirds of the country’s land area will be used to harness rainwater.
PUB’s Chief Executive Mr Khoo Teng Chye, attributed Singapore’s waterstory success to several factors: “We have always placed emphasis on R&D and water technologies. Water is an important resource and it is through strong political will, good governance, effective implementation and a motivated workforce PUB may have won the 2007 Stockholm Industry Water Award for its sterling water management system. But what of the future? We find out how leading water players are contributing to the water technology R&D scene. that we have been able to put in place a robust and sustainable supply of water in Singapore.”
The years ahead for the water industry look set to carry on its groundbreaking momentum. The Singapore government has identified the water industry as a key growth sector for the economy and some S$330 million will be invested in water R&D over the next five years. This is part of a masterplan to develop the local water industry into a global hydrohub.
“In trying to overcome our water challenges in the last 40 years, we have turned our vulnerability into a strategic asset for the country. We are attracting international water companies to do research here, set up centres of excellence and make Singapore a focal point of their business in the egion.
“Through participating in PUB’s various mega water projects, our local companies have matured through the years and built up a good track record. All the necessary elements are present for Singapore to develop into a hub of water technologies — a wellspring of water solutions that can help other cities solve their problems,” added Mr Khoo.
Further boosting Singapore’s global hydrohub aspirations is the successful conclusion of the inaugural Singapore International Water Week, a global platform for water solutions. More than 8,500 delegates from nearly 80 countries gathered in Singapore from 23 – 27 June 2008 to address challenges, showcase technologies, discover opportunities and celebrate achievements in the water world.
ATTRACTING THE BEST
The Environment and Water Industry Development Council (EWI) was set up in May 2006 to spearhead the growth of the water and environment industry in Singapore. Its role is to promote the country as a global R&D base for water technologies by nurturing local companies, attracting international organisations to locate their operations in Singapore, encouraging companies and research institutes to develop water technology and exporting Singapore’s expertise abroad.
The aim is to triple the value-added (VA) contribution from the water sector to S$1.7 billion (0.6 per cent of GDP) by 2015. Jobs for this sector are expected to double to about 11,000 in 2015, with a large part of growth in the professional and skilled categories.
Already, key water multi-nationals such as GE Water, Siemens Water Technologies, Black & Veatch and Delft Hydraulics have set up R&D centres in Singapore. Last year, the International Water Association also set up its regional office in Singapore. Black & Veatch, which has been conferred International Headquarters (IHQ) by the Economic Development Board (EDB), opened its Global Design Centre in February 2007 to provide the full range of engineering design services for water projects around the world.
Mr Ralph Eberts, Senior Managing Director for Black & Veatch’s water business in the Asia-Pacific, points out that because Singapore is small country with a relatively small population, it needs to attract and retain the best water industry talent.
One of the challenges for Singapore and Black & Veatch is to anticipate what’s next in the water industry,” said Mr Eberts.
“With climate change, new regulations, an ageing population infrastructure and an increasing population, the opportunities to increase water supplies and improve water quality around the world are limitless. Singapore has some of the top engineering talent in the world, and combined with our strengths, I believe the country is on the right track in ensuring a steady supply of water.”
Also making the most of Singapore’s forward-thinking water research environment is Siemens Water Technologies with its S$50 million investment to set up its Global
"The fact that PUB and Singapore have been able to attract many water companies to base their R&D activities here is a clear sign of the positive atmosphere and schemes that are in place.”
— Mr H Jagannath Rao, President, Water Technologies (Asia), Siemens
R&D Centre at PUB’s WaterHub. The new R&D centre will serve as a hotbed of water technologies and see the German company collaborating with PUB on water and used water treatment technologies.
“When Siemens was working out its plan to set up its Global R&D Centre for water technologies, Singapore, in its drive to become a global hydrohub, had created a vibrant atmosphere for the water business here. This and the support of the EDB made it an obvious choice for Siemens to set up our Global R&D Centre here,” shared Mr H Jagannath Rao, President, Water Technologies (Asia), Siemens.
“The fact that PUB and Singapore have been able to attract many water companies to base their R&D activities here is a clear sign of the positive atmosphere and schemes that are in place.”
Dutch water specialist Deltares (formerly Delft Hydraulics) has teamed with the National University of Singapore (NUS) and PUB to establish the Singapore Delft Water Alliance (SDWA), a multi-institutional, interdisciplinary research centre for water knowledge that aims to hire up to 70 researchers in key water disciplines over the next seven years.
Even as international industry players give Singapore their vote of confidence, homegrown companies are also making their presence felt in the water R&D arena. Keppel has pumped S$50 million into the Keppel Environment Technology Centre (KETC) which will focus research efforts on energy recovery from solid waste treatment, water and wastewater treatment.
Local universities are also strengthening their research capacity through the establishment of the NUS Environmental Research Institute (NERI) and Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute (NEWRI). With their input, Singapore’s water R&D landscape is well represented, covering both public, private and academic entities. It signals the nation’s strong and on-going commitment to develop the water industry, ensuring, for its people, that the well never runs dry.
NEED AN INCENTIVE?
Water technology companies can get a leg up into the industry with these schemes.
Fast Tech Scheme: Start-ups in Singapore are provided with financial incentives and mentoring by established water companies. Over the next five years, S$10 million will be invested to accelerate the growth of potential water start-ups in Singapore.
The Technology Pioneer Scheme: This encourages the early adoption of locally-developed new environment and water technologies. Users are given incentives to try out newly developed technologies while providing developers with a platform to test their products in real-life operating conditions. This will help developers facilitate their entry into the market.
COLLABORATE, INNOVATE
Next-generation water technologies are being developed right here in Singapore as PUB continues to work closely with leading water players on the R&D front. Here are some significant breakthroughs.
(From left) Mr Minoru Kikuoka, Global Head, Membrane Division of Nitto Denko; Mr Khoo Teng Chye, PUB Chief Executive, and Mr Masahito Terakura, General Manager, Aqua Division of Mitsubishi Rayon Engineering. The three companies will jointly develop water technologies for used water treatment and reclamation.
Dow Water Solutions, a business unit of the Dow Chemical Company, signed an agreement with the PUB in May 2007 to test-bed Dow’s next-generation FILMTEC™ Membranes for use in water reclamation. This collaborative research effort is expected to validate preliminary data indicating that Dow’s newer 16-inch FILMTEC™ membrane modules are more efficient in water reclamation than standard eight-inch modules. Once validated, the updated membrane technology will allow for more efficient and affordable water reclamation and reuse processes at large-scale treatment facilities.
In February 2008, PUB signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Japanese companies Nitto Denko and Mitsubishi Rayon Engineering to jointly develop water technologies for used water treatment and reclamation. The three companies will explore and develop membrane bioreactor systems for treatment of municipal and industrial used water. “We do believe that Singapore will be one of our main R&D centres in future, and this MOU is our first step towards such a goal,” said Mr Minoru Kikuoka, Nitto Denko’s Global Head of Membrane Division, who is also the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Hydranautics.
Under an agreement with the American Water Works Association (AWWA), PUB can tap on AWWA’s network in North America to attract qualified individuals who are interested in post-doctoral positions and PhD scholarship opportunities, to conduct R&D work in Singapore. There will also be opportunities to bring AWWA specialty conferences to Singapore. PUB also signed a research agreement with the Water Research Foundation (formerly known as the Awwa Research Foundation), to jointly fund and conduct research projects. Common research goals include reducing the cost of producing drinking water and ensuring the security of water supply.
Manual monitoring of live fish kept in tanks is one of the ways PUB ensures water quality. Any sudden decline in fish population is indicative of a possible decline in water quality. In June 2006, PUB and A*STAR Institute for Infocomm Research (I2R) jointly pioneered an innovative water quality monitoring technology that uses video imaging of fish known as the Fish Activity Monitoring System. With this locally developed technology, the process of monitoring fish activities can now be fully automated as any sudden dip in the number
of live fish will raise a visual and audio alert. Said Mr Chong Hou Chun, PUB’s Director of Water Supply (Network): “The PUB-I2R project team is innovative in using video imaging technology, similar to surveillance systems found at airports, to monitor fish movements. With such a system, the operators will be more effective in their round-the-clock monitoring of the water quality in the water supply system.”
French waste and water management company SUEZ Environnement and PUB inked a research deal in June 2008 to collaborate on water research. Areas of interest include filtration membranes for drinking water, water recycling, waste minimisation and hydroinformatics.
German giant Siemens Water Technologies and PUB have agreed to cooperate on a full-scale membrane bioreactor (MBR) testing facility at the new Changi Water Reclamation Plant. The MBR system will treat domestic used water and test new innovative design parameters. “This full-scale MBR plant is part of our on-going focused R&D efforts on sustainable water technologies,” said Mr Ruediger Knauf, Vice President of R&D, Siemens Water Technologies. “The validation plant will allow us to validate new product and process developments quickly under real conditions so we can bring value to our customers through reduced life-cycle costs and process improvements.”
In a bid to harness new and innovative ways to enhance Singapore’s water quality monitoring process, PUB and Optiqua Technologies have signed an agreement to collaborate on sensor technology. Optiqua, a subsidiary of Dutch biotechnology company Optinsense, has developed a sensor technology platform that combines real-time analysis with laboratory-sensitive levels for the detection of organic and microbiological contaminants in water. Scheduled to start in October 2008, the collaboration aims to test, validate and provide user feedback for Optiqua’s sensor applications prior to its launch in 2009
