Design Thinking E Design

Water recycling in Singapore began in 1974, but the experimental treatment plant was closed a year later because of costs and reliability issues.

In 1998, the Public Utilities Board (PUB) and the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) initiated the Singapore Water Reclamation Study (NEWater Study). The aim was to determine if NEWater was a viable source of raw water for Singapore’s needs.

In 2001, PUB initiated efforts to increase water supplies for non-potable use. Using NEWater for these would help reduce the demand on the reservoirs for potable water.

Many people may have this common question, that is why do Singapore need to invest so much on water supply that are available readily in America? This is because Singapore is a tiny island that is not sustainable by itself. The longest side of the country is merely 43km, and 23km wide. Hence, they do not have luxury of producing fresh water from the country itself.

Where do they get raw water supply?

They do have some natural reservoir that stores up some amount of rain water. Despite setting aside about 30% of its extremely limited land, it is not self-sustainable in order to provide its 5 million population. Hence, the Singapore Government invested a huge amount of money to build infrastructures to desalinate sea water, and a filter systems to purify raw water.

The main source of water is provided by the its neighbor, Malaysia. These two countries are connected by two bridge where commuters are able to use it freely. As you cross the bridge, you will probably notice two huge pipes. These pipes provides Singapore with raw water that are treated for safe usage while the other, rather unusual, to provide Malaysia back with clean water.

Main water supply

Unfortunately, Singapore do not have a reliable water supply from Malaysia as there is always a treat that Malaysia could cut off their water supply that is vital for its supply. Furthermore, the treaty to sell water to Singapore by Malaysia only last until 2061. Hence, Singapore Government aimed to reduce their over-reliance on one of the most vital component for its survival on foreigners’ hand and for their long term needs. Therefore, Singapore’s main objective is to recycle used water and desalination to meet the people’s need.

The reclaimed water was given the brand name “NEWater.” NEWater is purified using dual-membrane and ultraviolet technologies in addition to conventional water treatment processes. This processes helps to kill most of the microbacteria, and filters almost all harmful substances. However, Singaporeans are reluctant to drink the NEWater despite the fact that it was scientifically proven that it is safe for human consumption. This is due to the fact that many people feel uneasy about drinking used water thinking that they are still dirty and unhygienic. Hence, NEWater are usually used in industry that requires high purity water ( Yes, That’s how clean the NEWater is!)

Reference

http://growingblue.com/case-studies/newater-in-singapore/

http://www.edb.gov.sg/content/edb/en/industries/industries/environment-and-water.html

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20120812080620AA80qKf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NEWater

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