SINGAPORE: Punggol Waterway helped the Housing and
Development Board (HDB) clinch its first international award for
environmental sustainability on Friday.
The HDB said it was awarded the Grand Prize for
Excellence in Environmental Engineering in the environmental
sustainability category, presented by the prestigious American
Academy of Environmental Engineers (AAEE).
My [email protected], also known to some as the
Venice of Singapore, is the only Asian winner for the Grand Prize
under the Environmental Sustainability Category.
It won the award five months after it was launched.
The award ceremony was held in Washington DC on Thursday.
HDB's Deputy CEO (Building), Mr Sng Cheng Keh, said: "Right from
the start, we wanted to build a green, sustainable waterway, and
using green construction methods too. We are glad to have achieved
both objectives.
"Winning this award is testament to Singapore's small contribution
towards being responsible global citizens by constructing an
environmentally-friendly waterway."
The HDB said the waterway has winning features such as eco-drains
to ensure surface runoff is cleansed before entering the
waterway.
It also has aerators, jet fountains and water curtains to enhance
water quality.
The waterway was constructed using green practices. One of them was
a "cut-and-fill" method of excavation to fill the low-lying areas
around the waterway.
Earth excavated from the waterway was re-used to prepare
surrounding low-lying areas for future developments.
Features such as the boardwalks, footbridges and areas around the
plaza were built with recycled materials.
The HDB said the waterway is an outstanding example of a vibrant
and sustainable town with social communal spaces integrated
seamlessly along the waterway.
It took efforts to preserve the memories and heritage from old
Singapore by artistically weaving in pieces of history, such as the
Kelong Bridge that captures the stilt houses of the past.
- CNA/wm