By 2060, the demand for water use is predicted to double from 430 million gallons a day. Singapore’s water strategy is founded on our 4 national taps: water from local catchment, desalinated water, NEWater and imported water from Malaysia.
To strengthen our water security, water resilience is absolutely crucial. With more erratic weather like dry spells and intense storms, the issue of water becomes more pressing. How can we ensure that our water supply remains affordable and sustainable at the same time?
The main strategy: Water recycling & increasing desalination capacity
In a nutshell, NEWater is a recycling process of our treated used water into ‘ultra-clean, high-grade reclaimed water’. Used water is treated through microfiltration and reverse osmosis to eliminate contaminants, bacteria and viruses. Following that, it is disinfected with ultraviolet light as an additional safeguard. At the moment, NEWater meets 40% of our national water needs. By 2060, it will meet up to 55% of our nation’s water demand. If rain is not in our favour, we can tap into the sea. Although it is the most energy-consuming strategy and most costly, it is a viable alternative. Given that our island is surrounded by the sea, it is a natural option especially when membrane technology makes it economically viable.
With these two strategies in mind, we are more likely to use water in a mindful manner. This is also reflected in the pricing of water to reflect how precious and scarce water is. PUB has priced water to encourage us not to waste it and to help conserve our resources.
From water rationing days in the 1960s to being well on the way towards security in our water supply, efforts still need to be made to use water wisely. Here are the 5 tips to save water:
What are some of your go-to methods on conserving water? Let us know by connecting with us on Instagram!