Making issue a priority helped S'pore overcome water challenges: PM
Grace Chua Straits Times 6 Jul 11;
THERE are no magic solutions to overcoming urban water problems and achieving water self-sufficiency is a slow, painstaking process.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong gave this assessment when he was tapped for advice he could give to other countries, at a Singapore International Water Week dialogue yesterday.
Saying that he hesitated to give advice because every city's problems are different, he added: 'But I think the most important thing may not be the water itself but the ability of the city to administer effective water policy.'
Only with effective governance in place, PM Lee noted, will governments be able to clean up slums, connect houses to sewers, charge for water supply and punish water theft.
In Singapore's case, he said the country had planned its water strategy over many years, built reservoirs and catchment areas, studied desalination and dreamt of turning Marina Bay into a reservoir.
When new technology became cheap enough to turn salt water into fresh water and remove pollutants from the river affordably, the city-state invested in it, he told the 1,500-strong audience, including water ministers and leaders, at the Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre.
'I think the most important decision was to treat this as a strategic priority right from the beginning because we knew we were vulnerable,' he said in the hour-long question-and-answer session moderated by Ambassador-at-large Tommy Koh.
He outlined some of the experiences that Singapore had gone through to pipe clean and safe water to its people.
Singapore prices water, he said, to reflect its true cost here - the cost of desalinating it.
But this is contentious in other countries, where doing so is 'political hara-kiri', as Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy visiting don Asit Biswas had put it in a question to the Prime Minister.
The current water tariff here starts at $1.17 per cubic m before taxes and fees and about $1.50 per cubic m with taxes. Before 1997, domestic users did not pay water conservation tax on the first 20 cubic m.
But the political backdrop of the mid-1990s meant water was a national security issue. Citing that as one reason that people accepted higher tariffs, PM Lee said there were reminders from various quarters abroad at that time that 'if we were not compliant, they would threaten to turn our water off'.
Water agency PUB said last year that Singapore is on its way to filling up 80 per cent of its water needs with Newater and desalinated water by 2060.
The country is also building a large-scale, deep-tunnel sewerage system to channel used water to a proposed Newater plant in Tuas.
The system will be in place in 15 years.
Newer technologies, such as desalination plants which can also filter less-salty water, will also expand the water catchment from the current two-thirds of land area to as much as nine-tenths in the long term.
At the dialogue yesterday, several audience members, such as Ms Sahana Singh, editor of trade magazine Asian Water, asked if Singapore would take the lead in helping the region's developing countries manage their sanitation and water issues.
PM Lee said: 'We have five million people in Singapore, and in Asia... 1.8 billion in need of sanitation. So we will try our best but our resources are limited.'
Rather, individual governments must make water and sanitation a priority, he emphasised.
He pointed out that larger countries like China and India have, unlike Singapore, far more natural resources.
'You have rivers, you have glaciers... you can divert them, you can do hydro plants.
'I have no doubt that countries which can develop 7, 8, 9 per cent growth a year will be able to muster the resources to address water and many other challenges and to bring their people's standard of living up, step by step, year by year,' he said.
Singapore on track to meet water needs
Second desalination plant a big step towards goal of self-sufficiency
Jessica Cheam Straits Times 7 Jul 11;
SINGAPORE yesterday took a big step towards becoming self-sufficient in water as work began on its second and largest desalination plant.
The $890 million plant in Tuas, which begins operations in July 2013, will triple the Republic's water desalination capacity.
That will bring Singapore closer to its goal of supplying 30 per cent of its water needs from desalination by 2061.
The Tuaspring plant is built by home-grown firm Hyflux, which also runs SingSpring in Tuas, Singapore's first desalination plant which was completed in 2005.
Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony yesterday, Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan hailed the occasion as 'yet another important and strategic milestone in Singapore's water journey'.
The new plant will pump another 318,500 cubic m of water per day into the Republic's national tap. That will add to the current 136,500 cubic m produced daily by the existing plant, which currently supplies 10 per cent of Singapore's water needs.
Desalination is an obvious choice for Singapore, given that the city is surrounded by seawater, noted Dr Balakrishnan.
But the Government held back because the option was too costly in the early days of its invention, he pointed out. Over the years, however, it has become cheaper due to technology improvements.
He said: 'Technology has made a major difference and in the past decade or two, it has certainly altered the strategic and economic landscape for us as far as our choices in water is concerned.'
The new facility uses a reverse osmosis process to remove the salt and other impurities in seawater.
Singapore's water demand is expected to double by 2060. Then, 50 per cent of its needs will be met by Newater, 30 per cent from desalination and 20 per cent from local catchment areas, said Dr Balakrishnan.
Currently, up to 60 per cent of Singapore's water is provided for by local catchment areas and imports from Malaysia, 10 per cent from seawater and 30 per cent from Newater.
Singapore, he said, was likely to build a third desalination plant to meet water needs. But he was quick to add that 'we don't want to overbuild either'.
'There's a cost... associated with building up the capacity, so we will do this judiciously and carefully... this is a long-term plan,' he told reporters.
One innovative feature of the new plant is that it is co-located with a combined cycle gas turbine power plant, which will supply the power for the desalination process.
Hyflux chief executive Olivia Lum said this has enabled higher efficiency and savings on the costs of water production.
The ground-breaking ceremony was a key event at the Singapore International Water Week (SIWW), an annual gathering of water experts and leaders from across the world.
But the highlight yesterday was a dialogue with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong - a new segment at this year's SIWW.
During the hour-long session attended by some 1,500 delegates, he took more than 10 questions, ranging from Singapore's water management strategy to how the Republic can help other countries.
Outlining Singapore's thinking on water issues, he said the Government started off with the approach that water is 'not just an economic problem', but a 'strategic necessity'.
He went on to talk about how achieving self-sufficiency is important, with the first water agreement with Malaysia expiring soon, and the second one ending in 2061.
For instance, the Government was also quick to invest in technologies such as desalination, when it became affordable to do so. It has also explored other sources, such as Newater.
New approaches are also being tried out, Mr Lee said. This includes a variable salinity plant, a technology pioneered by national water agency PUB, which allows flexible treatment of both brackish and seawater according to salt content.
While there are 'no magic solutions' to solving water problems, Mr Lee said such efforts will be a big boost. He said: 'By 2061, I'm confident that we'll be able to be self-sufficient.'
Capping yesterday's events, former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew handed out the Water Prize to Dr James Barnard, 75, for his work in recycling used water.
Singapore to ramp up NEWater and desalination capacity
Hoe Yeen Nie Channel NewsAsia 5 Jul 11;
SINGAPORE: Singapore will ramp up its NEWater and desalination capacity such that by 2060 they will account for 80 per cent of Singapore's water demand.
These targets had been set ahead of the expiry of Singapore's second water agreement with Malaysia.
Malaysia has agreed to supply Singapore with water till 2061.
Speaking at the inaugural Water Conversation at the Singapore International Water Week on Tuesday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong explained that the need to be self-sufficient in water has long been seen as a strategic necessity.
NEWater now meets 30 per cent of Singapore's water needs and the target is to raise that to 50 per cent.
Desalinated water currently fulfils 10 per cent of demand, and capacity will be ramped up significantly when its second and largest desalination plant, located at Tuas, is operational by 2013.
During the dialogue, a participant said Singapore could be self-sufficient sooner, but Mr Lee said even so, the Water Agreement still stands.
Mr Lee said: "The water treaty is not just a matter of self-sufficiency; it's an inviolate founding document of our republic.
"When we became independent, one of the terms of the independence was that both governments - the Malaysian and the Singaporean governments - guaranteed that Johor will supply water to us until 2061. That absolutely cannot be changed and I think we have to stick by that until 2061."
Among countries, there are generally three schools of thought when it comes to the pricing of water.
Some think it should be free; others provide it heavily subsidised; and some, like Singapore, believe in the need to reflect its economic value - which is the cost of producing the next drop using desalination or NEWater techonologies, while directing subsidies to the low-income households.
It is estimated that these schemes, such as the U-Save rebates, more than cover the 3 per cent of income that households spend on water on average.
The PUB also imposes a conservation tax to reflect the need to use water wisely.
Beyond pricing, authorities also recognised the need for a mindset change.
"You almost have to make it a religion. So every drop of water counts, and even if it's a lot of trouble to save this, and maybe you do the sums and it doesn't quite add up, but I want you to have that in your mind, and to treat it as if it's something very, very precious," said Mr Lee.
Over time, water rates in Singapore have tripled, and now approximates its real cost.
Households now pay S$1.17 per cubic metre for the first 40 cubic metres a month; above that they pay S$1.40 per cubic metre, before taxes.
But Mr Lee said there was concern in the late 1990s over how the public would react.
PM Lee said: "I think one reason people accepted this was because at that time, regularly, there were reminders from various quarters in neighbouring countries that if we were not compliant, they would threaten to turn our water off. And therefore Singaporeans could see this and could understand that this was a national security issue.
"I don't know that you can replicate that solution in other countries, and we have very good relations with our neighbours. But at that time that was the backdrop, and for the purposes of educating our citizens, it was not unhelpful."
Across Asia, an estimated 1.8 billion people do not have access to clean and safe water, and some participants asked if Singapore could do more to help.
But Mr Lee said it can only do so much.
He said real change will come about only if these regional governments have the political will to act.
- CNA/cc/ls
Important to treat water as a scarce resource, says PM Lee
Hoe Yeen Nie Today Online 6 Jul 11;
SINGAPORE - While Singapore has made significant strides towards becoming self-sufficient in water, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong reiterated yesterday that it was important for people to treat water as a scarce resource.
Said Mr Lee: "You almost have to make it a religion. So every drop of water counts, and even if it's a lot of trouble to save (water), and maybe you do the sums and it doesn't quite add up but I want you to have that in your mind and to treat it as if it's something very, very precious."
Speaking at a dialogue at the Singapore International Water Week, Mr Lee said that the Republic takes the pricing policy for water seriously as a way to manage demand for the scarce resource.
Mr Lee noted that among countries, there are generally three schools of thought when it comes to the pricing of water: Some think it should be free, some provide it heavily subsidised and, others, like Singapore, believe in the need to reflect its economic value while directing subsidies to low-income households.
The subsidies schemes are estimated to offset the 3 per cent of income that households spend on water on average. The Public Utilities Board (PUB) also imposes a conservation tax.
Over time, water rates in Singapore have tripled. Households currently pay S$1.17 per cubic m for the first 40 cubic metre a month, above that they pay S$1.40 per cu m, before taxes.
Mr Lee noted that a reason why Singaporeans could accept the Government's approach in pricing water was because in the late '90s, "there were reminders from various quarters in neighbouring countries that if we were not compliant, they would threaten to turn our water off".
Said Mr Lee: "Therefore, Singaporeans could ... understand that this was a national security issue. I don't know (if) you can replicate that solution in other countries ... we have very good relations with our neighbours. But at that time that was the backdrop ... it was not unhelpful".
Malaysia has agreed to supply Singapore with water till 2061. Singapore has said it aims to have 80 per cent of its demand met by desalination and NEWater by 2060.
During the dialogue, a participant pointed out that Singapore could be self-sufficient sooner. Mr Lee said that even so, the Water Agreement stands. Said Mr Lee: "The water treaty is not just a matter of self-sufficiency, it's an inviolate founding document of our Republic. When we became independent, one of the terms of the independence was that both governments - the Malaysian and the Singaporean governments - guaranteed that Johor will supply water to us until 2061. That absolutely cannot be changed and I think we have to stick by that."
Across Asia, an estimated 1.8 billion people do not have access to clean water. Some participants asked if Singapore could do more to help. Noting that Singapore can only do so much, Mr Lee added that real change will come about only if the governments in the region have the political will to act.
Water self-sufficiency a strategic priority: PM Lee
Singapore's water policy not driven only by economic rationale
Teh Shi Ning Business Times 6 Jul 11;
(SINGAPORE) The Republic's water policy has been rooted in the recognition that self-sufficiency is a strategic priority, not just an economic one, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday.
Water pricing policies, new catchment areas, public education and ramped- up use of new water technologies have all stemmed from that, he said, adding that desalination and NEWater plants are expected to supply 80 per cent of Singapore's water needs by 2060, before the second water treaty with Malaysia expires in 2061.
Taking questions from the audience of 1,500 policymakers, researchers and water industry leaders at the Singapore International Water Week's (SIWW) inaugural Water Conversation, Mr Lee explained that while Singapore is working towards water self-sufficiency, it still imports essentials such as food and energy, also needed for water treatment processes.
He said that, as a very small country, Singapore depended on the rest of the world, and there was no alternative to this.
NEWater currently meets 30 per cent of Singapore's water needs, but ramped-up capacity is projected for it to meet 50 per cent of future water demand by 2060.
Desalinated water, with added capacity from the new TuaSpring Desalination Plant, is expected to supply 30 per cent of water needs by 2060, up from the current 10 per cent.
Mr Lee also shared some of the new approaches Singapore is trying out, including technology integrating desalination and NEWater processes to treat water of varying salinity. This could tap small rivers and streams nearer the sea to raise Singapore's water catchment area from about two-thirds to 90 per cent.
One researcher in the audience suggested Singapore could be self-sufficient before the 2061 expiry date of Singapore's second water agreement with Malaysia. But Mr Lee stressed that the treaty is 'not just a matter of self-sufficiency, it's an inviolate founding document of our Republic', which 'absolutely cannot be changed'.
Other participants asked if Singapore could do more to assist the estimated 1.8 billion people across Asia without access to clean water. Mr Lee said that while Singapore is already sharing its water expertise, governance and the ability to enforce laws remain key.
He spoke about the politics of pricing water, acknowledging that while governments may fear public backlash from pricing an essential good like water to reflect its economic value, Singaporeans were more accepting of pricing adjustments in the late 1990s, in part because threats from neighbouring countries to switch off the water supply drove home the national security aspect to water.
While Singapore's water prices reflect the cost of producing the next drop of water via desalination or NEWater technologies, utilities subsidies also ensure that low-income households are not deprived of an essential good, Mr Lee said.
Beyond pricing and developing cost-viable technologies to produce water, public education and mindset change are key. 'You almost have to make it a religion, so every drop of water counts,' Mr Lee said, about educating people on water conservation and keeping the environment and water catchment areas clean.
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