Straits Times Forum 8 Jun 13;
PUB, the national water agency, thanks Dr Wong Ming Keong for his letter ("Extracting groundwater could cause S'pore to sink"; Monday).
Even if groundwater was available, any extraction must be done in a safe and sustainable manner.
That is precisely why the PUB has commissioned a study of Singapore's hydro-geology.
We will also study both the negative and positive examples of other cities before making such a major decision.
For example, places that are using and managing groundwater in a sustainable manner include Orange County (California) and Perth (Western Australia).
The Orange County groundwater system currently provides approximately 70 per cent of northern and central Orange County's drinking water, while approximately half of Perth's drinking water will come from secured deep groundwater sources by 2022.
The PUB has appointed an international panel of hydro-geological experts to advise us on potential groundwater exploratory projects.
The experts have many years of experience in groundwater resource assessment and management in many countries, and will provide independent advice.
The public can send feedback through the PUB's 24-hour call centre on 1800-284-6600.
Young Joo Chye
Director, Planning and Policy
PUB
