Lynda Hong Channel NewsAsia 7 Jul 11;
SINGAPORE : Harvesting urban stormwater as a source of water supply could be possible with the newly-opened Aquatic Science Centre at Ulu Pandan.
Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Dr Vivian Balakrishnan opened the Centre on Wednesday, the first of its kind in Asia.
The Aquatic Science Centre will be studying in-depth issues - such as whether there is a soil and plant type that can affect the quality of rainwater and what types of sediments best clean rainwater - with scientists, sociologists and even policy makers working together.
The aim is to be able to develop sustainable solutions for urban freshwater management.
Water quality tests - even from the nearby Ulu Sungei Canal - are an integral part of the work.
The 34-metre long bioflume with an adjustable wall is Asia's first such experiment facility. Its barricade can be expanded up to five metres wide, depending on what experiments researches want to conduct. The facility also allows for the speed of water to be adjusted and plants to grow, so as to find out what types of plants can help mitigate floods while cleaning stormwater.
Costing S$6.4 million, the centre is a joint initiative among the National University of Singapore, national water agency PUB and Dutch company Deltares.
Dr Balakrishnan said: "This is work being done, not only between countries, not only between universities, and private sectors, but also across the different fields of engineering, biology, chemistry, and medicine, and public health. "
He added: "New investments by water companies over the past five years will double the industry's share of GDP to Singapore to S$1.25 billion, and create additional jobs."
The centre is also open to the public from 8:30am to 6pm on weekdays.
- CNA/ms
Asia's first Aquatic Science Centre opens in S'pore
Esther Ng Today Online 7 Jul 11;
SINGAPORE - Crushed crabshells, water lettuces and pandan leaves - these can help improve water quality in a energy-efficient and eco-friendly way.
And these, along with other plants and natural organisms, will come under study at the new Aquatic Science Centre (ASC), to harness green engineering techniques that can treat urban runoff and improve Singapore's water quality.
Located at Ulu Pandan Canal, the S$6.4 million outdoor research facility, the first of its kind in Asia, was opened by Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan yesterday, and will develop a sustainable and integrated approach to fresh urban freshwater management.
"For instance, pandan leaves help to remove nitrates and phosphorus which lead to algae growth and impair water quality; while sarggasum, a sea grass, filters waters much better than commercial filters," said Professor Vladan Babovic, director of the Singapore-Delft Water Alliance (SDWA). "However, putting more plants in the canal slows water flow and increases the water level. The challenge is to make the canal look nice, improve the water quality but keep the risk of flooding at bay."
One highlight at the centre is the bio-flume - a huge trough of water, with plants, measuring 37.5m by 5m. A motor generates water currents replicating movement of water in a canal.
More than just a research facility, the ASC, launched by SDWA - a joint initiative between the National University of Singapore, PUB and Deltares, a Dutch research institute - will enable the public to get a clear view of all the research activities carried out at its premises.
Said Dr Balakrishnan: "It will inspire the young and educate more people about the challenges we face over water."
Also announced yesterday was Project Neptune by SDWA and the National Environment Agency, which will develop and deploy a national water quality monitoring and operational forecast system for Singapore's coastal and marine environment.
"For instance, we can find out what will the water quality near a beach will be like in six or 12 hours' time," said Prof Babovic.
With computer modelling, researchers can predict the rate in which an oil spill can affect the aquaculture, he added.
Project Neptune is expected to be completed in April 2013.
Want to know how rainwater is cleaned?
New Aquatic Science Centre allows you to see experts at work
Feng Zengkun Straits Times 7 Jul 11;
THE public will be able to watch scientists at work at the new Aquatic Science Centre launched yesterday.
The open-concept laboratory at Ulu Pandan - the first such in Asia - will be open to visitors from 8.30am to 6pm on weekdays.
Researchers at the centre said they will act as guides if possible but that sections may be closed off for ongoing work.
Set up to look at ways to clean rainwater, the centre features a large, adjustable water tank used to model different canals and drains in Singapore.
Scientists will also be testing different low-cost materials that can be used to filter the water, such as crab shells.
The $6.4 million centre is the work of the Singapore Delft-Water Alliance (SDWA), which comprises the National University of Singapore, national water agency PUB and Dutch water institute Deltares.
Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan said at the opening ceremony yesterday that the open concept is meant to encourage public interest in how rainwater is treated in Singapore.
Schools and organisations can contact the centre to arrange group visits.
About 20 scientists from different fields such as biology, engineering and chemistry will work at the centre.
SDWA director Vladan Babovic, 50, said experts from different disciplines are needed to make sure the research can be used in canals and drains here.
He said adding plants to canals to treat rainwater, for example, could increase the risk of flooding because the plants may slow the water flow.
'We need different kinds of experts to work together to make sure we understand the pros and cons of what we do,' he said.
Research findings from the centre may be used in the drainage system to treat rainwater under PUB's Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters programme.
At a separate event earlier in the day, Dutch Ambassador Johannes Jansing announced a new Singapore-Netherlands Water Challenge to find solutions to water-related problems.
The competition will feature a specific challenge each year, for example, ways to find a business proposal for a more efficient way to filter water.
Open to students from around the world, the winning submission will net its author a grant to carry out the project.
The winner will also get an internship at one of the partnering organisations. There are currently 11 organisations including water company Hydronav.
The first challenge will be announced in September.
PUB separately announced a new programme to train engineers and architects in green building features.
It said property developers seeking to include green features in their buildings may need to submit their plans to be approved by graduates from the programme in the future.
Unique outdoor water research centre opens in Singapore
Tam Yu Ling Business Times 7 Jul 11;
AS part of the government's push to grow the water industry in Singapore, an outdoor research facility - the first of its kind in Asia - was launched at Sungei Ulu Pandan yesterday.
The Aquatic Science Centre @ Sungei Ulu Pandan (ASC) is a new $6.4 million outdoor research facility geared towards urban freshwater management. As part of the Singapore Delft-Water Alliance (SDWA), it is jointly funded by SDWA partners which includes the National University of Singapore (NUS), PUB and Deltares, and supported by the Environment Water Industry Development Council in a 60-40 ratio.
Speaking at the opening ceremony yesterday, Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan hailed the launch of the ASC as a 'testament to the hard work put in by the SDWA'.
As the aim of the ASC is 'to understand how natural organisms in the ecosystem can be used to treat urban runoff and improve water quality', the launch of the ASC will also benefit PUB's Active, Beautiful and Clean Waters Programme - aimed at beautifying our water catchment areas, he added.
With Dutch-based research institute Deltares stepping in as a fellow partner, the launch of the ASC will also intensify collaboration between Singapore and The Netherlands.
Commenting on the collaboration between the two countries, NUS president Tan Chorh Chuan said: 'Singapore and The Netherlands are both relatively small countries with limited natural resources. In a certain way, this limitation in natural resources forced us to realise that the greatest resources we both have are those created by our own knowledge . . . Both Singapore and The Netherlands are global leaders in sustainable water management, largely based on knowledge we have created ourselves.'
The ASC also aims to create general public awareness on the importance of water, said SDWA director Vladan Babovic.
'As Singapore is the tenth most water-stressed country in the world, the launch of the ASC will be instrumental in educating the public on sustainable water management,' he said.
Positioned as the first of its kind research centre in Asia, ASC will host 20 researchers from various disciplines to carry out water research at the facility.
To facilitate research, the state-of-the-art facility is also well equipped with specialised laboratory tools such as bio-flumes, flow tanks and biosorption columns in its laboratory spaces.
Already, the SDWA has discovered some key findings that it plans to continue additional research on, in the ASC.
For example, in a pioneering research conducted by SDWA researcher Carol Han and her team of researchers two and a half years ago, it has been found that the pandan plant - a common aroma enhancer in many of our local desserts - is able to remove nitrates and phosphates in waterbodies.
This key finding will thus 'provide a cheap way to solve the problem of eutrophication in water', said Dr Han.
The research finding has since been submitted to peer-reviewed scientific journals and is awaiting publication.
In line with the green agenda embodied by the ASC, the building of ASC comes with 'green' implementations put in place by township development company Surbana International Consultants. A key unique architectural feature is its wave-like roof top which is not just aesthetically pleasing but also ensures 'maximum capture of rainwater for research uses', said Frven Lim, who is principal architect of ASC.
As an acknowledgement of the eco-friendly features in ASC, the building has been awarded the Green Mark Gold Plus rating by the Building and Construction Authority.
The ASC is open to the public Mondays to Fridays, from 8.30 am to 6.00 pm. Admission is free.
