PUB wins two international water awards

Straits Times 24 Sep 10;

THE national water agency PUB scored another feather in its cap yesterday.

It scooped up two international awards - one in recognition of the Marina Barrage and the second for developing a pioneering water treatment plant that is able to collect and treat water flowing in small estuaries such as canals and streams near the sea.

The biennial Project Innovation Awards, conferred by the International Water Association, recognise innovative excellence in water engineering projects around the world.

Despite the limited availability of land here, more than two thirds of Singapore's land area has been set aside for water catchment space. Most major rivers that flow through the island have been dammed to create 15 reservoirs that provide most of the water supply generated locally.

But till recently, it was not possible to create catchments from the streams and rivulets that flow near the shoreline, due to their relatively small size.

It is to tap this water resource that the Variable Salinity Plant was designed, said the PUB.

The plant can generate a higher yield of treated water by being able to treat surface runoff stored in a canal behind an inflatable rubber weir when rain water is present.

If the canal is dry, it is able to switch to treating sea water.

'By tapping the small rivers and streams near the shoreline as sources of water, the Variable Salinity Plant has the potential to increase the water catchment from 67 per cent to 90 per cent,' said MrChua Soon Guan, PUB's Assistant Chief Executive of Policy.

This is the third international award won by the Marina Barrage, widely considered an engineering feat for its ability to both serve as a water catchment and alleviate flooding, as well as be a focal point for recreational activities.

Together with the Punggol and Serangoon Reservoirs, which will be opened over the next few years, the Marina Reservoir will increase Singapore's water catchment space from half to two-thirds of the country's land area.

It will also boost Singapore's water supply by 10 per cent.

AMRESH GUNASINGHAM