PUB to study coastal reservoir protection methods in Singapore

Singapore’s national water agency, Public Utilities Board (PUB), will be initiating an engineering study for identification of possible measures to ensure protection for 11 of the country’s coastal reservoir structures including dams, tidal gates, dykes and spillways.

The agency will be calling a tender for the new initiative, which is aimed to save the reservoirs from future sea level increases.

Singapore has 19 reservoirs, of which nine are estuarine and situated near the sea including Marina, Serangoon, Punggol, Lower Seletar, Kranji, Tengeh, Poyan, Murai and Sarimbun reservoirs.

These reservoirs have been constructed by building dams at the mouth of the rivers to ensure creation of freshwater bodies and flushing out of the salty water over time. The dams and dykes built for the reservoirs ensure that seawater cannot enter the fresh water storage reservoirs.

The other two reservoirs included in the study are the Pandan reservoir and Jurong Lake, both of which are connected to the sea by canals.

PUB intends to review designs of the existing structures at the reservoirs and determine if those will be able to withstand the sea level rises as projected by the 2nd National Climate Change Study conducted by Centre for Climate Research Singapore.

The study will also evaluate measures to ensure structural integrity of the reservoirs during such rises and look at possible adaptation measures including, raising of tidal gates, installation of buffer beams and measures to retrofit the tidal gates structures.

PUB chief sustainability officer Tan Nguan Sen said: "We need to start early to enhance our adaptation plans to address the impacts of climate change and protect our water infrastructures.

"While the reservoir structures are adequate in addressing the current sea levels, taking on this study allows us to prepare for future sea level rises and take early steps to protect coastal reservoirs against seawater intrusion up to the year 2100."