Picture Perfect 2008/#06 Theme : Water
Camera : Canon PowerShot S5 IS
Date Taken : 2008 Feb
We live on a planet that is dominated by water. More than 70% of the Earth's surface is covered with this water. Water is also essential for life. Without water, life would probably never have developed on our planet.
The water resources of Singapore are especially precious given the small amount of land and territory in Singapore's geography while having a large urban population in the city-state.
Without natural freshwater rivers and lakes, the primary domestic source of water in Singapore is rainfall, collected in reservoirs or water catchment areas.
Rainfall supplies approximately 50% of Singapore's water; the remainder is mainly imported from Malaysia.
We consume 300 million gallons of water per day.
In few years’ time, i.e. Year 2012, on the demand side, we will be consuming one third more than what we are consuming now.
On the supply side, the expiry of the 1961 Agreement in 2011 will reduce water supply from Malaysia.
We need to get ourselves prepared by then. More catchment areas, facilities to recycle water (producing NEWater) or desalination plants are being built.
Singapore will then have a total of four big national taps, which the water coming out from each and every one of these four taps is of equally good quality. This "four tap" strategy aims to reduce reliance on foreign supply and to diversify its water sources.
NEWater is the brand name given to reclaimed water produced by Singapore's Public Utilities Board (PUB).
More specifically, it is treated wastewater (sewage) that has been purified using dual-membrane (via microfiltration and reverse osmosis) and ultraviolet technologies, in addition to conventional water treatment processes.
The water is potable and is consumed by humans, but is mostly used for industry requiring high purity water.
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