Singapore will have enough water even without new agreement: SM Goh

Hetty Musfirah Abdul Khamid Channel NewsAsia 20 Mar 11;

SINGAPORE : Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong has said Singapore will have enough water even if there is no new deal when its second agreement with Malaysia expires in 2061.

He said investments in technology and infrastructure will enable the country's drive towards water self-sufficiency.

Mr Goh said this as Singapore celebrated World Water Day on a bigger scale this year on Sunday.

It was still dawn, and participants were already at the Kolam Ayer waterfront to kayak some five kilometres to the Marina Barrage.

The event was made possible because of Singapore's investments in enhancing its waterways and its emphasis on preserving the precious resource - water.

Environment and Water Resources Minister, Yaacob Ibrahim, said: "It is a responsibility for all of us as Singaporeans to keep this strategic resource not only clean but also not to waste it. Use it wisely, use it judiciously, because we have to pass this to the next generation."

Making sure water management is sustainable is also crucial, given the limited supply.

At Marina Barrage, Mr Goh was optimistic in his speech about meeting future needs.

He said: "When Singapore gained independence, we were almost totally dependent on imported water from Malaysia. Today, we are much less dependent. And come 2061, we will have enough water for ourselves if there is no new water agreement, when the second Water Agreement runs out.

"Besides imported water from Malaysia, we have water from local catchments, NEWater and desalinated water."

Under the second Water Agreement that was signed in 1962, Singapore is allowed to draw up to 250 million gallons from the Johor River.

Mr Goh said the country will continue to expand the water supply to meet the needs of the population and growing economy.

The plan to have Singapore's second desalination plant is on track. To be completed by 2013, the plant is expected to boost the water supply by another 70 million gallons per day.

This year's World Water Day is held in conjunction with the Inter-Religious Organisation Day.

A minute's silence was held to remember the earthquake and tsunami victims of Japan.

Mr Goh and the religious leaders also flew a 24-square metre kite at the Green Roof to launch the Inter-Religious Organisation's kite festival.

Kites representing the different faiths were distributed for donations, which will be channelled to Mercy Relief for their operations in Japan.

World Water Day was also celebrated in several locations islandwide, with ministers and MPs giving support.

They included an exercise session at Lower Seletar Reservoir - with Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam taking part - a run at Jurong Lake - flagged off by Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam - and a clean-up session at Bedok Reservoir, where Foreign Minister George Yeo was Guest of Honour.

The first Active, Beautiful and Clean Waters Learning Trail was also launched to let students discover the 130-year old MacRitchie nature reserve.

The educational programme was launched by Senior Minister of State for National Development and Education, Grace Fu.

- CNA/ac/ms

Clean water a result of a wave of effort
SM: Setting up '4 national taps' needed political will, determination, creativity
Rachel Chang Straits Times 21 Mar 11;

THE clean and readily available water Singaporeans have today is a result of political will, sheer determination and creativity, said Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong yesterday.

At an event at the Marina Barrage to mark World Water Day, he recalled how Singapore, at the time of independence in 1965, was almost totally dependent on imported water from Malaysia.

That is no longer the situation following investments in technology and water infrastructure.

'Today, we talk about our four national taps as if setting them up was as easy as building roads or houses,' he said to a crowd of more than 2,000.

'Be assured it was not,' he added.

The 'four national taps' strategy, realised around 2000 when Mr Goh was prime minister, refers to the current four sources of water supply: imported water, water from local catchments, Newater and desalinated water.

Mr Goh said that come 2061, when the second of Singapore's two water agreements with Malaysia expires, the country will have enough water for itself even if new agreements are not signed.

The first water agreement will expire in August this year.

The event was among a string of celebrations held by national water agency PUB and civic groups across the island to mark World Water Day yesterday.

Singapore leaders and MPs joined cyclists, kayakers and participants in mass exercises, as well as students and members of the public in a range of activities at eight places around Singapore.

The leaders included Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who flagged off an 'amazing race' in Jurong to teach people about water conservation.

In Sembawang, Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam led a fun walk at Lower Seletar Reservoir, while Foreign Minister George Yeo teamed up with, among others, students of Damai Secondary and Temasek Polytechnic to clean up Bedok Reservoir.

In addition, several companies and schools, like Hwa Chong Institution, cleaned up or adopted reservoirs, pledging to care for the water bodies.

At Marina Barrage, the celebration had an extra touch of colour.

Sharing the spotlight was the Inter-Religious Organisation (IRO), which was celebrating its 62nd anniversary. The scene was a lively picture of Catholic nuns in habits and Taoist priests in robes mingling with excited schoolchildren and grassroots volunteers.

Mr Goh later joined religious leaders on the grass-covered roof of the Barrage, where they observed a minute of silence for Japan, which was hit by a devastating earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis in the past week.

He then witnessed a taiji display by more than 700 practitioners from Taoist temples in Singapore, and helped to launch a massive, multi-coloured kite imprinted with the IRO's logo.

The joint celebration was a happy coincidence. As the IRO's honorary secretary, Sister Theresa Seow, explained to reporters, the organisation had booked the Barrage last September for its anniversary activities.

PUB had also eyed the venue for its event, and so suggested a collaboration.

The IRO, representing 10 different faiths, spent three weeks considering the offer, Sister Seow said.

'We realised that underlying all religions, there's a use of water in our rituals, as cleansing and also as a symbol of life,' she said.

'Joining the PUB today has awakened our consciousness that we really have to promote among our followers the sacredness of water and our duty to do our part to preserve it.'