The Water Loop
The Early Years
The earliest sources
of water on the island were inland streams and wells. These were small sources,
sufficient for the few inhabitants on the island. After its founding in 1819,
as Singapore grew as a port city, a small reservoir was constructed at Fort
Canning in 1822 to supply water to ships which called at the port. By 1850, the
island’s population had grown to more than 50,000 without provisions made to
supply these residents with water. Planning for Singapore’s water supply became
an issue. It was only in 1857 that philanthropist Tan Kim Seng made a donation
of S$13,000 for the building of Singapore’s first waterworks and piped water
supply. This provided the impetus for the construction of an impounding
reservoir in Thomson Road in 1868. It was expanded in 1891 and named MacRitchie
Reservoir in 1922, after Municipal Engineer James MacRitchie who oversaw the
expansion.
As colonial
Singapore’s population grew, steps were taken to enlarge and improve the water
supply. In 1910, the Singapore Municipality built the Kallang River Reservoir,
which was later renamed Peirce Reservoir in 1922, after Municipal Engineer
Robert Peirce who was in charge of its construction. Seletar Reservoir, the
third impounding reservoir, was named after a Malay word that refers to coastal
dwellers called Orang Seletar, and was built within the central catchment in
1920 and later expanded in 1940.
Then the PUB was formed in
1963. Over the last 40
years, through strategic planning and investment in research and technology,
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.
Water
catchment areas, such as reservoirs, collect rainwater, which will be
sent to a water treatment plant to purify the water to become drinkable
water. In Singapore, there are 17 reservoirs, including the newly built
Marina Barrage. Built
across the mouth of the Marina Channel, the recently built $226 million
Marina Barrage creates Singapore’s 15th reservoir, and the first in the
heart of the city. With a catchment area of one-sixth the size of
Singapore, the Marina Barrage is the island’s largest and most urbanised
catchment. Together with two other new reservoirs, the Marina Reservoir
has increased Singapore’s water catchment from half to two-thirds of
the country’s land area.
 |
| Marina Barrage |
The Marina Barrage is basically a “3 in 1” project, which provides water supply, flood control, and a lifestyle attraction. It can meet about 10% of Singapore’s demand for water, it is also part of a comprehensive flood control scheme to relieve flooding in the low-lying areas in the city such as Chinatown, Boat Quay, Jalan Besar and Geylang. During heavy rain, the series of nine crest gates at the dam will be activated to release excess storm water into the sea when the tide is low. In the case of high tide, giant pumps which are capable of pumping an Olympics-size swimming pool per minute will drain excess storm water into the sea.
 |
| Giant pumps |
Imported water
Attempts to reach a new deal with Malaysia to secure water supply for Singapore beyond 2061 have not borne fruit despite years of tedious negotiations. The Singapore government has stated that it will not renew the 1961 agreement which expires in 2011. The government has also stated that Singapore can be self-sufficient in water by the time the 1962 and 1990 agreements expire in 2061.
To reduce Singapore's dependence on imported water, the government has taken steps to increase the size of the local water catchment area and to build up the supply from non-conventional sources, namely NEWater (reclaimed water) and desalinated water. With the various water projects progressing well, government officials have assured Singaporeans that the country can be self-reliant in water by 2061 if it needs to be.
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.
Singapore now has five
NEWater plants which can meet 30% of the nation's water needs. By 2060, PUB plans to
triple the current NEWater capacity so that NEWater can meet 50% of future
water demand.
Desalinated Water
Another
technology-based water source is desalinated water. Singapore has one of Asia’s
largest seawater reverse-osmosis plants, which produces 30 million gallons of
water a day (136,000 cubic metres) to meet about 10% of Singapore’s water
needs.
 |
| Desalination plant |
By 2060, PUB intends to
ramp up desalination capacity by almost 10 times so that desalinated water will
meet at least 30% of the water demand in the long term.
tries
in the world to harvest urban storm-water on a large-scale for its
water supply. - See more at:
http://www.pub.gov.sg/water/Pages/singaporewaterstory.aspx#sthash.0Jwrk4cG.dp
The Early Years
The earliest sources of water on the island were
inland streams and wells. These were small sources, sufficient for the
few inhabitants on the island. After its founding in 1819, as Singapore
grew as a port city, a small reservoir was constructed at Fort Canning
in 1822 to supply water to ships which called at the port. By 1850, the
island’s population had grown to more than 50,000 without provisions
made to supply these residents with water. Planning for Singapore’s
water supply became an issue. It was only in 1857 that philanthropist
Tan Kim Seng made a donation of S$13,000 for the building of Singapore’s
first waterworks and piped water supply. This provided the impetus for
the construction of an impounding reservoir in Thomson Road in 1868. It
was expanded in 1891 and named MacRitchie Reservoir in 1922, after
Municipal Engineer James MacRitchie who oversaw the expansion.
As colonial Singapore’s population grew, steps were
taken to enlarge and improve the water supply. In 1910, the Singapore
Municipality built the Kallang River Reservoir, which was later renamed
Peirce Reservoir in 1922, after Municipal Engineer Robert Peirce who was
in charge of its construction. Seletar Reservoir, the third impounding
reservoir, was named after a Malay word that refers to coastal dwellers
called Orang Seletar, and was built within the central catchment in 1920
and later expanded in 1940.
These were, in a nutshell, the main water sources in Singapore at the time of PUB’s formation in 1963.
- See more at: http://www.pub.gov.sg/about/historyfuture/Pages/WaterSupply.aspx#sthash.5w7aCv3q.dpufThe Early Years
The earliest sources of water on the island were
inland streams and wells. These were small sources, sufficient for the
few inhabitants on the island. After its founding in 1819, as Singapore
grew as a port city, a small reservoir was constructed at Fort Canning
in 1822 to supply water to ships which called at the port. By 1850, the
island’s population had grown to more than 50,000 without provisions
made to supply these residents with water. Planning for Singapore’s
water supply became an issue. It was only in 1857 that philanthropist
Tan Kim Seng made a donation of S$13,000 for the building of Singapore’s
first waterworks and piped water supply. This provided the impetus for
the construction of an impounding reservoir in Thomson Road in 1868. It
was expanded in 1891 and named MacRitchie Reservoir in 1922, after
Municipal Engineer James MacRitchie who oversaw the expansion.
As colonial Singapore’s population grew, steps were
taken to enlarge and improve the water supply. In 1910, the Singapore
Municipality built the Kallang River Reservoir, which was later renamed
Peirce Reservoir in 1922, after Municipal Engineer Robert Peirce who was
in charge of its construction. Seletar Reservoir, the third impounding
reservoir, was named after a Malay word that refers to coastal dwellers
called Orang Seletar, and was built within the central catchment in 1920
and later expanded in 1940.
These were, in a nutshell, the main water sources in Singapore at the time of PUB’s formation in 1963.
- See more at: http://www.pub.gov.sg/about/historyfuture/Pages/WaterSupply.aspx#sthash.5w7aCv3q.dpufThe Early Years
The earliest sources of water on the island were
inland streams and wells. These were small sources, sufficient for the
few inhabitants on the island. After its founding in 1819, as Singapore
grew as a port city, a small reservoir was constructed at Fort Canning
in 1822 to supply water to ships which called at the port. By 1850, the
island’s population had grown to more than 50,000 without provisions
made to supply these residents with water. Planning for Singapore’s
water supply became an issue. It was only in 1857 that philanthropist
Tan Kim Seng made a donation of S$13,000 for the building of Singapore’s
first waterworks and piped water supply. This provided the impetus for
the construction of an impounding reservoir in Thomson Road in 1868. It
was expanded in 1891 and named MacRitchie Reservoir in 1922, after
Municipal Engineer James MacRitchie who oversaw the expansion.
As colonial Singapore’s population grew, steps were
taken to enlarge and improve the water supply. In 1910, the Singapore
Municipality built the Kallang River Reservoir, which was later renamed
Peirce Reservoir in 1922, after Municipal Engineer Robert Peirce who was
in charge of its construction. Seletar Reservoir, the third impounding
reservoir, was named after a Malay word that refers to coastal dwellers
called Orang Seletar, and was built within the central catchment in 1920
and later expanded in 1940.
These were, in a nutshell, the main water sources in Singapore at the time of PUB’s formation in 1963.
- See more at: http://www.pub.gov.sg/about/historyfuture/Pages/WaterSupply.aspx#sthash.5w7aCv3q.dpuf