Quest for a Diversified and Sustainable Supply of Water
Over the last 40 years, through strategic planning and investment in research and technology, Singapore’s national water agency PUB has built a robust and diversified supply of water known as the ‘Four National Taps’. The water supply comprises (1) local catchment water, (2) imported water, (3) highly-purified reclaimed water known as NEWater, and (4) desalinated water.
Local Catchment Water
Singapore has two separate systems to collect rainwater and used water. Rainwater is collected through a comprehensive network of drains, canals, rivers, storm-water collection ponds and reservoirs before it is treated for drinking water supply. This makes Singapore one of the few countries in the world to harvest urban storm-water on a large-scale for its water supply.
Local catchment water is a pillar of our sustainable water supply. By 2011, two-thirds of Singapore’s land areas become water catchment including Marina, Punggol and Serangoon Reservoirs and their catchments.
With all the major estuaries already dammed to create reservoirs, PUB aims to harness water from the remaining streams and rivulets near the shoreline using technology that can treat water of varying salinity. This will boost Singapore’s water catchment area to 90% by 2060.
Imported Water
Singapore has been importing water from Johor, Malaysia, under two bilateral agreements. The first agreement expired in August 2011 and second agreement will expire in 2061.
NEWater
A Singapore success story and the pillar of Singapore’s water sustainability, NEWater is high-grade reclaimed water produced from treated used water that is further purified using advanced membrane technologies and ultra-violet disinfection, making it ultra-clean and safe to drink.
In 2011, Singapore’s latest and largest NEWater plant was completed. This plant together with the expansion of the existing four NEWater plants can meet 30% of the nation’s water needs.
By 2060, we plan to triple the current NEWater capacity so that NEWater can meet 50% of our future water demand.
Desalinated Water
Another technology-based water source is desalinated water. Singapore has one of Asia’s largest seawater reverse-osmosis plant, which produces 30 million gallons of water a day (136,000 cubic metres) to meet about 10% of Singapore’s water needs. The second 70mgd desalinated plant will be completed in 2013.
By 2060, we intend to ramp up desalination capacity by almost 10 times so that desalinated water will meet at least 30% of our water demand in the long term.
Multiple water projects were also initiated to ensure a sustainable water supply for Singapore. These include clean-up of the Singapore River, building the Marina Barrage and creating the Deep Tunnel Sewerage System.
Reservoir In the City
An iconic structure at the mouth of the Marina Channel and the vision of Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew more than twenty years ago, Marina Barrage creates Singapore’s fifteenth reservoir, the Marina Reservoir.
The barrage serves three benefits: it creates a freshwater lake to boost Singapore’s water supply, acts as a tidal barrier to prevent flooding in low-lying city areas, and keeps the water level consistent, offering a venue for water-based activities in the heart of the city. In addition, there are opportunities abound for people to connect with water at the barrage. This helps to nurture of ownership of Singapore’s precious water resources, so people will do their part to keep our waters clean. At the same time, it is also a celebration of the beauty and preciousness of Singapore’s waters.
The variety of recreational activities available at the barrage has made it the new hotspot in the city centre, with more than 3.5 mllion visitors since its opening.
In 2011, Marina Reservoir with Punggol and Serangoon Reservoirs, which are our 16th and 17th reservoirs, increased Singapore’s water catchment from half to two-thirds of Singapore’s land surface.
Marina Reservoir is also a flagship projects of Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters Programme.
Used Water Superhighway
The Deep Tunnel Sewerage System, a 48-kilometer-long used water superhighway, conveys used water from the northern and eastern parts of Singapore to the centralised Changi Water Reclamation Plant for treatment before the treated used water is further purified into NEWater.
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