PUB guide to help non-domestic buildings save water

Lim Min Zhang Straits Times 22 Nov 17;

National water agency PUB is aiming to improve water use by non-domestic consumers - a group that represents nearly three-quarters of future demand.

As non-domestic water consumption is expected to increase, PUB is publishing a guidebook, Best Practice Guide For Water Efficiency - Buildings. It aims to help large water users, namely office, hotel and retail buildings, adopt more water-efficient practices.

Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli, who spoke about the guidebook at the inaugural Water Efficiency Awards at HDB Hub yesterday, said PUB will be refining it by seeking views from the industry.

Mr Masagos said: "Non-domestic water demand is expected to increase from 55 per cent of our current water demand to 70 per cent of our future water demand by 2060.

"Therefore, it is important that our partners in the non-domestic sector join us in this move to conserve water, and reduce water demand."

While a draft copy of the guide is already available on the PUB website, the final version will be launched next year, after the consultation period ends this year.

Data from water-efficiency management plans now in force for non-domestic buildings, which are large water users, was used to develop the guidebook.

The data for buildings which use 5,000 cubic m of water or more a month has been submitted to PUB yearly since 2015. This volume of water can fill about two Olympic-size swimming pools.

With water demand for cooling needs taking up 25 per cent of total water demand for large users, PUB has also published a document to provide developers, building owners and managing agents with guidelines on good cooling tower management.

The Technical Reference For Water Conservation In Cooling Towers is also available online.

Dr Cecilia Tortajada, a senior research fellow at the Institute of Water Policy, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, said: "The value of best practices and sectorial benchmarks should not be understated."

She added that such information was not only essential for self-assessment but could also shape a user's behaviour. She said: "Best practice guides that are endorsed by the industry can also be valuable guidance for newcomers to build in water-efficient measures at the point of design, so that good water management practices can be incorporated from the outset."

A total of 27 organisations from seven categories won the Water Efficiency Awards this year, including Junction 8 shopping mall, Clementi Primary School, Jalan Besar Town Council and the AXA Tower.

The awards recognise the most water-efficient organisations, in terms of their Water Efficiency Index - which is calculated based on their water-efficiency management plans - or if they had the highest water recycling rates.