4. Sustainable Management of water resource
Sustainable management of water resources in Singapore and other countries
o Improve water quality (e.g. anti-pollution laws)
o Reduce water consumption (e.g. water conservation efforts)
o Improve water technologies (e.g. desalination, water reclamation)
o Import water (e.g. international agreement)
1. HOW DO COUNTRIES IMPROVE WATER QUALITY?
Under Singapore’s Environmental Protection and Management (Trade Effluent) Regulations, industries are not allowed to release wastewater into water bodies without permission from the National Environment Agency (NEA). Harmful substances released into the water will reduce clean water available for use so it is important to ensure that water bodies are not polluted.
Singapore River was so polluted that the clean-up was a massive undertaking that took 10 years to complete.
Let's not take for granted the clean and beautiful rivers we have today!
Why is there a need to enforce anti-pollution laws under the Sewerage and Drainage (Trade Effluent) Regulations?
How is the high levels of heavy metals and boron in public sewers in Tuas detected between December 2021 and January 2022?
Who is responsible in regulating water pollution in Singapore?
How is water treated and recycled to produce NEWater?
Singapore River was so polluted that the clean-up was a massive undertaking that took 10 years to complete.
Let's not take for granted the clean and beautiful rivers we have today!
Workboat with conveyor belt to pick up litters from surface of water along Punggol river. Photo credit to Mdm Rahimah 2019
The Smart Water assessment network(SWAN) consists of robotic swans which are water quality monitoring device used to collect water quality data in real time. Singapore’s Public Utilities Board (PUB) has used SWAN to monitor water quality in the five reservoirs of Marina, Punggol, Serangoon, Pandan, and Kranji.
Source: https://medium.com/mark-and-focus/singapores-robotic-swans-testing-water-quality-30a97b666679
A toxic chemical spill in 1986 saw a large amount of pesticides released in the Rhine, Western Europe. Many fish died and some species went extinct. The governments of Switzerland, Germany and France worked together to manage pollution in the Rhine by installing monitoring stations along the river to measure the water quality every 6 mins. Industries responsible for polluting the river were also fined.
2. HOW DO COUNTRIES REDUCE WATER CONSUMPTION?
Promoting awareness of water efficient product by PUB. The Water Efficiency Labelling Scheme (WELS) helps consumers choose their products such as taps, flushing cisterns, urinals, washing machines, dishwashers etc. wisely to conserve water consumption.
Decreasing household water consumption 2006 to 2015. Watch the video on how conservation is encouraged in Singapore.
Singapore to raise water prices by 18% over two phases in 2024 and 2025.
How will this help to improve water security in Singapore?
Read the news on increase in the price of water for water security in Singapore. Find out why desalinated water is expensive.
3. HOW DO COUNTRIES IMPROVE WATER TECHNOLOGIES?
Desalination
- this technology increases water supply through a process that removes salts and minerals from saltwater to produce potable water/ drinkable safe water.
Desalination of seawater is possible using technology. Water is treated with screening and filtration and then using reverse osmosis. The water is conditioned and disinfected to produce potable water. The latest desalination plant, Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant, can treat both seawater and freshwater.
http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/environment/keppel-to-build-spores-fourth-desalination-plant
National water agency PUB and Keppel officially opened Singapore’s first large-scale dual-mode desalination plant on 4 Feb 2021. It is Singapore's 4th desalination plant which can treat both sea water and fresh water from our reservoir.
Find out more here.
Can you see the limitation of desalination from the comics below? How can the challenges be overcome?
https://www.facebook.com/100068836885431/posts/pfbid0ATcsNzqtC24RcGURkX3qEjxvN6P2ZUAYvJ63zbTvnM1PG9wBFAiAi9awa4AmaJdRl/?mibextid=Nif5oz
Water reclamation (NeWater)
- this technology increases water supply by recycling wastewater and
treating it by removing solids and impurities so that it can be converted to potable water / industrial-grade water/ drinkable safe water
NeWater -how do we successfully recycle water?
4. Importing water from Malaysia
The 1962 water agreement, which will expire in 2061, gives Singapore the right to buy 250 million gallons of water a day from the Johor River, at 3 sen for every 1,000 gallons. In return, Johor is entitled to buy back a daily supply of treated water from Singapore of up to 2 per cent of the raw water it supplied, at 50 sen for every 1,000 gallons. Malaysia want to review the cost of the water which Singapore imports from Malaysia. (The cost of treatment is RM2.40 for every 1,000 gallons and Malaysia sells the treated water to Johor citizens at RM3.95 per 1,000 gallons.)
Why is it important for Singapore to be self-sufficient in water supply?
How can Singapore achieve self-sufficiency in water supply?
Water supply to Singapore disrupted over ammonia pollution in Johor River, 4 April 2019
How will this affect our water supply and demand?
Read the following extract from todayonline posted on 10 May 2019.
How do other countries manage their water resources?
Kuwait is another country that have signed an agreement with Serbia in 2017 to import 3 million litres of water. Kuwait's groundwater had run dry since the 1970s. Serbia has about 300 mineral springs and 25 plants for water processing, allowing it to export quality mineral water to Kuwait.
Complete the SLS lessons on Geography in Practice as you compare the management of water resource in Northern Thailand with that of Singapore.
You will find out that the way water resources are managed is very different due to the physical and built environments in Singapore and that of Northern Thailand.
Geography in Practice: Water Part 1
You will examine how the physical environment (surrounding forests, slopes and water sources) and built environment (development, farming and waste management) impact on water quality for the village in Northern Thailand
Geography in Practice: Water Part 2
You will evaluate the best management strategy for the village:
Strategy 1 - Network of pipes
Strategy 2 - Portable ceramic filters
Strategy 3 - Water treatment plant
Geography in Practice: Water Part 3
While both physical environment and human environment are important when deciding on a suitable water management strategy; is one more important than the other? Let's compare that with Singapore!
Singapore opens its fifth desalination plant, which is 5% more energy efficient, on 17 April 2022.
Where is the new desalination plant located?
Why is there a need to increase water supply in Singapore?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of using desalination to increase our water supply?