PUB scales down production at NEWater, desalination plants

Channel NewsAsia 20 Mar 14;

SINGAPORE: National water agency PUB said on Thursday that it is progressively scaling down operations and production at the NEWater and desalination plants after the rain over the last few days brought much-needed relief to the country’s record-breaking dry spell.

At the height of the dry spell over the past two months, PUB stepped up desalination to the full capacity of 100 million gallons a day. NEWater production was also raised to more than 100 million gallons a day for industrial use and to top up the country's reservoirs by 35 million gallons a day.

PUB's assistant chief executive of operations Tan Yok Gin said: "With the reservoirs filling up, NEWater injections into the reservoir have been cut back. Water demand has also returned to normal levels. However, should there be a return of the dry weather, operations will be adjusted accordingly."

"The agency will monitor the weather for the next few days before re-opening the water play areas at Marina Barrage, Alexandra Canal, and Lower Seletar Reservoir," Mr Tan said.

"Notwithstanding the rains returning, we call on the public to continue to adopt water efficient habits to conserve water and make it a way of life," he added.

- CNA/fa