Singapore Water Story

Singapore is among the most water-stressed countries in the world. The existential threat of water security has driven PUB, Singapore's National Water Agency, to build a robust and diversified water supply over the decades.

Singapore's water supply comes from four sources, also known as the Four National Taps:

1. Water from local catchments
2. Imported water
3. High-grade reclaimed water known as NEWater
4. Desalinated water

NEWater and desalinated water are weather-resilient sources of water, which are critical in light of climate change.

NEWater is produced from treated used water that is further purified using advanced membrane technologies and ultraviolet disinfection. This makes it perfectly safe to drink. It is supplied mainly to industry users such as wafer fabrication plants, which prize NEWater's ultra-clean properties.

Though weather-resilient, NEWater and desalinated water are both energy-intensive water sources. PUB continues to invest in research and technology to reduce the energy consumption of desalination. This includes building a pilot plant to trial novel and promising technologies, with the aim of reducing the energy needed from 3.5 kWh per cubic metre of desalinated water to less than 2 kWh by 2025.