THE PUB's Deep Tunnel Sewerage System (DTSS) has been operational for just four months, but it has already garnered praise internationally.
The project was named Water Project of the Year at the annual Global Water Awards, which honour top achievers in the field of water management and treatment.
From Straits Times PDFThe DTSS, a $3.65 billion sewage superhighway that channels waste water to a Changi treatment plant from across the island, won for its contribution to water technology and environmental protection.
The 48-km tunnel, which runs 20 to 55 metres below ground, is expected to meet Singapore's used-water needs for the next century.
Waste water is channelled through the tunnel to the Changi Water Reclamation Plant. There, it is treated and either discharged into the sea, or channelled to the Changi Newater factory to be further purified.
Global Water Intelligence, the prestigious trade monthly which organised the awards, said the DTSS was a 'visionary project'.
The DTSS beat three other nominees for Water Project of the Year: the As Samra Waste Water Treatment Plant in Jordan, the Geneva Water Treatment Facility in Illinois, and the Twin Oaks Valley Water Treatment Plant in San Diego, the latter two in the United States.
National water agency PUB previously clinched two other titles at the Global Water Awards.
Last year, its recycled-water product Newater was named Environmental Contribution of the Year, while in 2006, it received the Water Agency of the Year award.
GRACE CHUA