Singapore Unveils 50-year Water Plan

Singapore has launched a plan to triple its current water capacity to meet the country’s water demands for the next 50 years.

The island nation also plans to increase its desalination capacity by ten times to meet another 30% of its long-term water demands.

The national water agency PUB has already implemented the Four National Taps strategy, which taps water from local catchment water, imported water, high grade reclaimed water, which has been branded NEWater, and desalinated water.

By 2060, Singapore hopes to triple the NEWater capacity to meet 50% of its future water demands.

The Asian country plans to collect as much rainfall as possible by turning two-thirds of the 710km² country into water catchments and delivering the water into three reservoirs: Marina, Punggol and Serangoon by 2011.

Singapore expects its water demands to double in the next 50 years, with 70% coming from the non-domestic sector and the remaining 30% from domestic consumption.

The country will increase its water catchment area to 90%, using each drop more than once through salinity plants that can treat water of varying salinities.