When will our water be ready?

Ato SG

After reading all the dispute between Singapore and Malaysia regarding the water issue, I ask myself when is Singapore going to make our own water to drink? I mean from the beginning of the independent day, people of Singapore should know that under this precarious relationship of our two nation, things like the water issue will one day turn sour and eventually endanger our nation. More over is that we are one of the richest nation in Asia and why instead of building water refinery facility we build the reservoir.
Isn't it a little too late until for a time like this? And till the recent news that I learn that the new facility will only supply 10% of the nation drinking water by 2005 if I'm not wrong. Can't all this process speed up a little?
I certainly hope we will be on time.

tripwire SG

well... i am not from the PUB... so i wont be able to tell you the truth as to why singapore PUB didnt start a desalination plant or a water recycling plant sooner . But i think the reasons maybe many...

1... cost....
2... availability of alternative source...
3... technology....availability and accessibility...
4... the restrictions of the water agreedment...
5... demand for water...
6... competing funding needs from other govt department..
7... diplomatic considerations...

Thus ... its easier to always look back and say... things could have been done better... but then... back then... we wouldnt have the power to see the future...

As for future water supply... i think there is little need for worry... in view of the serious implication if there is insufficient water... the govt would certainly put 110% effort to ensure that our needs are met...

The current need of the govt would be to obtain sufficient water supply to replace the water agreedment that is expiring in 2011.. and perhaps a bit more to meet unforseen contingencies...

at present... about 50% of singapore water is from malaysia.. while the remaining is from local reservoir...

if the new project can produce an additional 10%.. that would push singapore's own domestic water supply to 60%... and if other projects slowly comes on line.. the percentage would probably be pushed higher...

Currently... there is no need for singapore to totally replace the water supply from malaysia as the final water agreedment would only expire in 2061... it would be better if we make good use of this water resources until such a time in the future when the cost of water desalination or recycling becomes even cheaper....then today...

Finally... who knows wat will happen in the future?? 60 years could see malaysia change the PM at least 3 times over... mahatir may not sign... future malaysian PM might... and who knows... they may end up buying water from us...in 60 years... Mr. Green

dumbdumb! SG

there will be a war soon. nations rising against nations…

sgboy2004 SG

Question

dayat_eonuum SG

I think water isnt the main issue here...
as a singaporean,i think u should know how to evaluate your government perfomance..i mean you minister should have expected this problem will occur since a long time a go....
maybe its time 4 u think about having a change...........

p/s: im malaysian...

Wink

CX SG

so far, they've handed up a decent report card... as for "predicting this problem", i hardly see how that is possible since our ministers do not have a habit of visiting bomohs and fortune tellers...

and seriously, this "problem" only became more pressing in recent years when YOUR gov't suddenly changed its position and dropped the package approach.

before that, everyone in the Sg was optimistic that there was a win-win diplomatic solution in sight.

btw... the call to cut water to Sg is nothing new... it comes up sporadically... everytime m'sia has a parliament session with some issues they DON'T want to resolve and everytime there's an election... since the 70s...

Sg can hardly consider its water resources "threatened" just because a few loud mouthed pea brained politicians screams for attention in the newspapers... so its really not an issue until recent years when negotiations grew more protracted as one of the agreements near its end.

and hey, how come Sg was able to announce Newater just in time to shove it up for m'sia to see during last year's water talks?

unready? i think this applies more to the cartoons up north...

kanzer SG

you are right, the water is not the main issue here......the main issue is your ministers love for rheotic and senseless outbusrt plus the deliberate misconception and information that is feeding the msian public...... i feel sad for you msians that all this while, you have been fed lies and half-truth...... you are right that it is time about having a change........ it is time to change those liars in your country.......

p.s. luckily i am not a msian.......