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SUSTAINABLE WATER MANAGEMENT PRACTICES (SINGAPORE)

Singapore’s achievements in turning water from a scarce resource into a multi-million dollar industry

Just four decades ago, Singapore’s water supplies were inadequate and precarious.
With no lakes or aquifers, and with limited land for catchment, it had no choice but to import raw water from neighbouring Malaysia.

As Singapore raced to urbanise in the 1960s and 70s, the result was water shortages, with the added problems of flooding and river pollution.

But today the story is dramatically different: the island has sustainable and diversified supplies of water, which the national water agency, PUB, has secured with innovative policies, technologies and
engineering solutions in a strategy it calls the “Four National Taps”.

In the process, the agency has become an internationally-acclaimed model of successful water management. In August 2007, it won the Stockholm Industry Water Award, and in 2006, was named
Water Agency of the Year at the Global Water Awards.

Its “Four National Taps” refer to water from four sources: local catchment areas, imported water, reclaimed water and desalinated water.

The water reclamation programme, which uses advanced membrane technologies involving microfiltration, reverse osmosis and ultraviolet disinfection, to recycle used water, has been
particularly successful.

Being 100 per cent sewered, Singapore is able to collect all its used water and turn it into a highgrade brand of reclaimed water it calls NEWater, which surpasses World Health Organisation
standards for drinking water.

Most of it is used for industrial and air-cooling purposes, but a small percentage is mixed with reservoir water before being treated for the drinking water supply. The country’s four NEWater plants
already meet 15 percent of its water needs. With a fifth plant in the pipeline, the plan is to raise this to 30 per cent by 2010.

The other technological triumph has been with desalination. After extensive research and feasibility studies, Singapore opened its first desalination plant two years ago.
Marina Barrage

The Marina Barrage was officially launched in October and this marks the creation of Singapore’s 15th reservoir. In addition to shoring up the country’s water supply and acting as a flood defence, the idea
is that the Marina Barrage will act as new lifestyle attraction that creates a greater affinity with the water.

Deep Tunnel Sewerage System
A more sophisticated system of collecting and treating used water will soon replace the current one. The Deep Tunnel Sewerage System will act as a “super highway” for managing used water more
efficiently, designed so that gravity alone drives used water through a deep tunnel running from the north to the east of the island.

These experiments in water technology and management have proven so successful that what was once a strategic vulnerability is now being recognised as a potential money-spinner.

Programmes on Water Conservation
Programmes to encourage water conservation, for example, has managed to reduce water consumption in Singapore households from 165 litres a day per capita in 2003, to 158 litres now.

Friends of Water
Organizations and individuals are encouraged to adopt the island’s waterbodies and become Friends of Water. Outstanding Friends of Water are then acknowledged in an annual award known as the
Watermark.

The country’s reservoirs have become a haven for water activities such as kayaking and wakeboarding.

PURE
Last year, a hip street magazine called PURE was introduced to interest young people in water issues.

ABC Waters programme
Another initiative, known as the Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters programme, hopes to bring people even closer to the water by transforming drains, canals and reservoirs into streams, rivers and lakes.
Singapore’s goal is therefore not just to make full use of this precious resource, but to have each drop fully appreciated as well.