Newater meets 30% demand
SENIOR Minister Goh Chok Tong officially opened Singapore's
fifth and biggest NEWater plant on Monday.
Together with the existing four NEWater plants, the Sembcorp
NEWater Plant will be able to meet 30 per cent of Singapore's total
water demand, up from 15 per cent previously. There are plans to
expand capacity to meet 40 per cent of Singapore's total water
needs by 2020, said SM Goh.
A winner of the Global Water Awards 2010 Water Reuse Project of
the Year, the new facility is the only large-scale water recycling
plant in the world to be housed on top of a water reclamation
plant. It purifies treated used water from the Changi Water
Reclamation Plant, which collects and treats used water from the
eastern half of Singapore.
Introduced in 2003, NEWater plays an important role in
Singapore's drive towards eventual self-sufficiency. Industrial
demand for the recycled water has grown 15-fold, from 4 million
gallons per day (or mgd) in 2003 to some 60 mgd today, said SM
Goh.
He added: 'Because of our sustained efforts we have come a long
way in water self-sufficiency. When the first of our two Water
Agreements with Malaysia expires next year, we will not be renewing
it.
'By 2061 when the second Water Agreement expires, we can also be
totally self-sufficient if there is no new water agreement with
Malaysia.'
-- ST