This document discusses various measures taken in Singapore to manage water resources and avoid shortages. It explains strategies such as pricing water to reduce consumption, educating the public on water efficiency, increasing local catchment of rainwater, importing water from Malaysia, producing NEWater and desalinated water, and protecting waterways through community involvement. The advantages and disadvantages of each measure are also presented.
1 of 3
More Related Content
S1 GE Handout 2 - Water Supply (Teacher)
1. Prepared by Miss Lena Teo Teacher’s copy
did you know...
Some washing machines use 6 liters of water per kg of
clothes while others can use up to 20 liters per kg!
And on average, a machine uses 50 liters of water.
Thus, it is important to make sure that
the new washing machine you buy is water efficient.
Remember to adjust the water capacity
according to the load you are washing as well!
2. Prepared by Miss Lena Teo Teacher’s copy
Water Resource Management in Singapore
Measure taken to
avoid water shortage
Explain the
measure
Describe the
advantages
Describe the
disadvantages
Reduce water
demand by
reducing
water
consumption
1) Pricing of
water
The water conservation tax is a pricing
system where an additional amount of
money is charged based on total water
consumption.
It thus encourages people to reduce their
water consumption because the more
water they use, the higher the tax rate.
Water pricing allows people to
be more mindful of their water
consumption.
It reflects the cost of
producing clean water, thus
people can appreciate the
value of clean water.
For industries that use a lot of
water, water pricing increases
their total cost of production.
Water pricing may not affect
those who can afford the higher
price. Thus, they may continue to
use any amount of water they
want.
2) Public
education
PUB started the Water Efficiency
Labelling Scheme to allow consumers to
make informed choices when purchasing
household products (encourages them to
buy water-efficient products).
In the PUB’s water-saving kit, there is a
set of thimbles that can be placed on taps
to allow residents to control the rate of
water flow from their taps.
Public education can teach
many people about the
importance of water in their
lives.
It has the potential to make
lasting positive changes in
people’s water use habits.
It takes time to change people’s
behavior.
Its success depends on whether
people want to change their
behavior. Some people may
ignore the advices given.
Increase
water supply
3) Local
catchment
water
Rainwater collected in rivers, streams,
drains, canals and stormwater collection
ponds is channeled to reservoirs where it
is stored.
Local catchment takes
advantage of Singapore’s high
rainfall.
Local catchment areas can
also be recreational places.
Land used for local catchment
implies less land is available for
other uses such as housing and
industry.
When there is little rainfall or a
drought, local catchment areas
are ineffective.
4) Import
water
Pipelines were built to transport water
from Johor to Singapore.
Importing water does not
require land and hence frees
up land for other uses.
It is a cheaper source of water
than desalinated
water/NEWater
Imported water may not be
enough to meet water demands.
Water agreements eventually
expire and there is no guarantees
of future agreements
3. Prepared by Miss Lena Teo Teacher’s copy
5) NEWater 1. Conventional water treatment
2. Microfiltration 3. Reverse osmosis
4. Ultraviolet disinfection.
NEWater is not dependent on
rainfall because it is produced
from used water
It is expensive to produce.
The public may not be receptive
to this new technology of
obtaining water from used water.
6) Desalinated
water
Desalination removes dissolved salts and
other minerals from water.
Pre-treatment process reverse osmosis
blended with treated water
Desalinated water is not
dependent on rainfall and can
be used to supplement water
supply during a long dry spell.
It is attractive since Singapore
is surrounded by a limitless
supply of seawater.
It is very expensive to produce as
the production is energy-
intensive.
Large amounts of chemicals and
salt solutions are produced during
the desalination process. If they
are improperly disposed into the
oceans, it may result in pollution.
Protect our
water supply
& resources
7) PUB Encourage the community to value water
through the:
o ABC Waters programme
o Friends of Waters programme
o ABC Waters Learning Trail
Protecting waterways is a
cost-effective method to
ensure clean water.
Its success depends on effective
public education and cooperation
of everybody.