Marina Reservoir: Not just an engineering feat

Lee Poh Onn, Straits Times 11 Jun 09;

THE Marina Reservoir may not be attention-catching but it has won numerous prizes, the most recent being the prestigious green award by the American Academy of Environmental Engineers in May.

Dammed by the 350m-wide Marina Barrage spanning the Marina Channel, the reservoir is an engineering feat. But what is less often realised is that the reservoir reflects a change in policy.

The Marina Reservoir is the first to be built here right in the heart of the city. It is the largest reservoir in Singapore with a catchment area of 10,000ha. Besides adding to the country's water supply, it also alleviates flooding in the low-lying areas of Chinatown, Boat Quay, Jalan Besar and Geylang. In addition, it provides a venue for recreational activities such as boating, windsurfing and water sports.

To prevent floods, seven gigantic pumps - each with a capacity of 40 cubic metres per second - can flush excess storm water out into the sea in case a storm coincides with a high tide. The barrage also has nine 30m steel crest gates to separate sea water from the reservoir and keep out high tides.

Together with the new Serangoon and Punggol reservoirs, the Marina Reservoir will increase Singapore's land catchment area for water from the present half to two-thirds by 2011. Singapore's 15th reservoir is expected to increase the country's water supply by 10 per cent when fully operational.

The barrage is built on environmentally friendly principles, with an iconic green roof to lower the temperature of the building below and to serve as a recreational field. The solar park at the Marina Barrage also has the largest collection of solar panels in Singapore - 405 in total.

Like the Bedok and MacRitchie reservoirs, the Marina Reservoir is part of the new generation of water catchment areas that are open to the public, and where community and recreational spaces co-exist with the reservoirs.

Before 2004, access to water catchment areas was restricted. But in 2004, the PUB made a dramatic shift: It allowed the public to embark on water-related activities at its reservoirs.

In line with this mindset change, the PUB also launched the Active, Beautiful and Clean Waters Programme in April 2006. The Marina Barrage is part of the programme.

Policymakers have realised that by bringing the public closer to water, and educating people about the importance of water resources, they can engender a sense of ownership.

Some may wonder why a reservoir has been located in a new downtown area. The barrage was an idea that originated with Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew about two decades ago. He envisaged damming the mouth of the Marina Channel to create a freshwater reservoir.

By 2011, Singapore's reservoirs, and desalination and Newater plants, should enable the country to overcome its 'water vulnerable' condition, though it will still continue to buy water from Malaysia. Back-of-the-envelope calculations indicate that Singapore will be able to produce about 1.54 million cubic metres of water daily from its domestic sources - about 15 per cent above its current consumption of 1.3 million cubic metres.

We have heard grouses of the public not being conscious of environmental protection. Singapore's new policy of actively engaging the public and educating them by creating community and recreational spaces in areas near reservoirs may be the way to go. Reservoirs which also serve as recreational spaces will promote greater awareness of how to conserve, value and enjoy water - especially since we have more of it now.

The writer is a fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.