Channel NewsAsia 27 Oct 18;
SINGAPORE: Singapore is planning to further reduce water usage among households, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean announced on Saturday (Oct 27).
Singapore will get households to cut daily consumption of water to 130 litres per person by 2030, down from the previous target of 140 litres, Mr Teo said at a celebration to mark the 10th anniversary of the Marina Barrage.
"Generations of Singaporeans understand our neverending search to assure our own future and are prepared to pay the price, so that we can have water security and no one can ever threaten our survival through water," he said.
National water agency PUB has rolled out initiatives to help Singapore households save water such as a smart shower that shows you how much water you are using, and an app that monitors water consumption and sends alerts if it goes up, he added.
Singapore's household water consumption has already fallen, in the wake of stronger water conservation efforts and recent water price hikes.
In 2009, the average household water consumption was 155 litres per person per day; by 2017, it was down to 143 litres per person per day, just 3 litres shy of the initial 2030 target.
To boost water security, Mr Teo said the government is planning for the long-term and investing in more infrastructure.
This includes a new desalination plant near Marina Reservoir set to be ready by 2020, which can treat both seawater and freshwater.
Source: CNA/hm
Singapore lowers 2030 water consumption target to 130 litres per person per day
Zaihan Mohamed Yusof Straits Times 28 Oct 18;
SINGAPORE - Singapore is planning to reduce the amount of water used by households even more by 2030, with a new target of 130 litres to be used by each person daily, or 10 litres less than the original goal.
This was announced by Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean, who was speaking at Marina Barrage's 10th Anniversary Finale Celebration yesterday.
"We need to do more to ensure a sustainable and resilient water supply for the future. We need to be prepared for potential threats to our water supply, like extreme weather conditions, or major oil or other pollutant spills that can affect our desalination plants."
While happy that Singaporeans have been playing their part in conserving water, Mr Teo said that people can be even more ambitious.
Stressing how water is critical for the future, he highlighted a study of 167 countries by World Resources Institute in 2015, which found that the Republic was the country most likely to be water-stressed in 2040.
"This is why water security has always been a national priority," he said. "We have spared no effort to treat every drop of water as precious. To turn as many drops of water into drinkable water as we can."
Households here have been using less water following stronger water conservation efforts and recent water price hikes.
Last year, each person here used 143 litres daily, just shy of the 140 litre target initially set for 2030 under the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint. And national water agency PUB has plans to help Singaporeans meet the 130 litre challenge.
Smart water meters which allow households to access real-time water usage, for one, will help them keep an eye on how much water is going down the drain.
Likewise, under the Smart Shower Programme, 10,000 new Housing Board flats are being fitted with smart shower devices which allow for real-time reading.
The Government is also investing in technology and infrastructure to boost water security, including building more desalination and Newater plants, pipelines and pumping stations, and water reclamation plants.
Some of the participants at the event, including Mr Kamarudin Noordin, who was there with his family, believe that the target set by Mr Teo is realistic and achievable. It just requires a change of mindset, the 62-year-old who is in the cleaning management service told The Sunday Times. "At home, I use a pail so that my grandchildren do not leave the shower on.
"It's like in the old kampung days when you scoop water from a well. You use only what you need. And we didn't use much."
The atmosphere at the 10th anniversary celebrations was like a mini carnival, but the important message of caring for the environment and conserving water was evident.
Aside from food stalls and works of art, there were several upcycling workshops. Visitors got a hands-on experience, learning how to turn plastic bottles into flower pots or use discarded plastic bags to create colourful artistic scenes through weaving, for example.
At one upcycling workshop, Ms Grace Ong, a volunteer from Terra SG, an environmental action-oriented social enterprise, showed visitors how to shape plastic bags into small flowers. The 24-year-old told The Sunday Times: "I want to educate the young and tell them that plastic bags are not only for single use. They can be used to create anything your mind imagines."
