Singapore becomes water treatment hub
PUBLISHED ONFebruary 17, 2015 2:36 PMByTeiichi Miyauchi
SINGAPORE - Water treatment technology has become a strong pillar of Singapore's industry.
Singapore used to heavily rely on imported water from Malaysia. It began working 15 years ago to become self-sufficient in the resource.
Today, the country has a three-pronged strategy for making sure its taps never run dry.
Waste not, want not
Marina Barrage, which has a 350-meter-long weir to keep out seawater, is a 240-hectare reservoir that stores fresh water that can meet 10 per cent of Singapore's demand. It was constructed in 2008. Although Singapore has a large amount of rainfall, its land area is too small to store it. The country was therefore heavily reliant on water imports.
A reservoir in Singapore's Marina Bay keeps out seawater.
Singapore was ranked 170th among 190 countries in the capacity of supplying fresh water, according a 2002 report by the United Nations. Its government therefore made water management a policy priority. The country has built 17 reservoirs so as "not to waste a drop of water." They are capable of storing rainfall on two-thirds of the country's land mass.
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