Singapore's Globally Recognised Water Agency

Bandar Seri Begawan - PUB is a statutory board under the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources.

It is the national water agency that manages the entire "water loop" - from rainwater collection to used water collection and treatment to desalination and the production of NEWater. PUB was named Water Agency of the Year at the Global Water Awards 2006.

Due to sound watershed management, effective water treatment processes and continued investments in R&D, Singaporeans have been enjoying good quality water for the last four decades, according to a press release.

Singapore's tap water is well within the World Health Organisation (WHO) drinking water guidelines, and is suitable for drinking without any further filtration. By closing the water loop PUB has put in place the Four National Taps, a long-term water supply strategy that ensures Singaporeans will have a sustainable supply of water for generations to come. The Four National Taps are local catchment water, imported water, NE Water and desalinated water.

Half of Singapore is used as water catchments. By 2009, Singapore's local catchment area will increase from half to two-thirds of its land surface with the completion of the Marina Reservoir and Punggol-Serangoon Reservoir schemes. To supplement the local water supply, Singapore has also been importing water under two bilateral agreements with neighbouring Malaysia.

NEWater'is high-grade reclaimed water produced from treated used water that is purified further using advanced membrane technologies, making the water ultra-clean and safe to drink. NE Water has passed more than 30,000 scientific tests and surpasses WHO requirements.

NE Water is mainly supplied to industrial and commercial customers. Since it is ultra-clean, it is ideal for wafer fabrication plants which require high-quality water PUB also blends 23,000 cubic metres of NE Water with raw reservoir water. This will be increased to 46,000 cubic metres by 2011.

There are three NE Water factories in Singapore, with a fourth currently being built under a public-private partnership (PPP) agreement.

The NEWater Visitor Centre, which was opened in February 2003, is the focal point of PUB's public education on NEWater. The centre highlights the importance of water and how Singapore leverages on advances in technology to reclaim water. Visitors are able to view first hand the operation of the advanced dual membrane and ultraviolet technologies used to produce NEWater.

In September 2005, Singapore turned on its fourth National Tap, with the opening of the SingSpring Desalination Plant in Tuas. The SingSpring desalination plant was PUB's first public-private partnership (PPP) project. The plant can produce 30 million gallons (136,000 cubic metres) of water a day and is one of the world's largest seawater reverse-osmosis plants.

Although the Four National Taps are firmly in place, PUB will continue to invest in technology and R&D to find new ways to produce and treat water more costefficiently.

Ensuring good quality water will always be a priority, with a comprehensive programme that monitors water quality at every stage.

In carrying out the various projects, sensitivity is shown to the environment, aesthetics and the needs of the community.-- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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