Every raindrop counts [News]

By Woo Sian Boon, Today, 4 Jun 2012.

For a country that brought to the world the technology to recycle sewage into high-grade reclaimed potable water, the Republic is now making strides in another world-first: Variable salinity technology, which would turn almost the entire island into a water catchment area, as national water agency PUB strives to make use of every drop of rainwater.

TODAY has learnt that, following a successful pilot, PUB plans to ramp up the technology, having recently identified eight potential sites across the island, including one at Jurong, at which to build new plants.

PUB had revealed that it was looking at using more of the technology – without giving details – in a letter to this newspaper last month, in a response to a reader’s suggestion to harness water in the streams and rivulets near the shoreline. Read more

New reservoirs to boost S’pore’s water supply [News]

Singapore’s water supply received a boost with the opening of the Punggol and Serangoon Reservoirs.

This brings the total number of reservoirs in Singapore to 17.

The reservoirs were created by the damming of Sungei Punggol and Sungei Serangoon. Both reservoirs can meet about five per cent of the country’s water needs and will collect rainwater from estates and areas within Punggol and Sengkang, as well as parts of Hougang and Ang Mo Kio.

Together with the Marina Reservoir, they increase the water catchment areas from half to two-thirds of Singapore. Read more