Today Online 26 Feb 09;
THE recent weeks of hot and dry weather have seen Singaporeans using more water. With temperatures hitting 34°c last week, the daily potable water consumption rose to 3 per cent beyond the daily average. The increase is enough to fill 16 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Said Mr Chong Hou Chun, director of PUB’s Water Supply Network: “Consumption patterns typically move upwards during dry spells. However, small acts can go a long way in helping Singapore as a whole save big on water.”
For instance, turning off the tap while soaping up can help save more than 10 litres of water. “If everyone cuts his water use by just 10 litres a day, the amount saved is enough to fill more than 6,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools in a year,” Mr Chong added.
Tips on how the public can conserve water at home are at tenlitres.sec.org.sg/index.asp. Or call PUB’s 24-hour call centre for a water saving kit.
As for the non-domestic sector, responsible for half of the island’s water consumption, building managers and owners can help by installing constant-flow regulators at all taps and use water efficient labelled fittings with the “excellent” rating.
Checking for and fixing leaks promptly also helps – a leaking pipe can waste up to 1,000 litres of water in a day. More measures are at www.tenpercent.sec.org.sg.
To enhance the resilience of Singapore’s water supply, PUB has invested in technology and infrastructure to strengthen the Four National Taps (local catchment water, imported water, NEWater and desalinated water).
