New Water from Wastewater in Singapore Singapore is comprised of
63 small islands and has a natural, rainforest climate. In fact,
nearly a quarter of Singapore’s land area consists of forests
and nature preserves, and the country averages more than 90
inches of rainfall every year. However, despite what appears to
be a flourishing wet ecosystem, Singapore has faced persistent
water shortages throughout its history. Faced with these water
shortages, in 1974, Singapore began a program of water recycling
– the action of transforming wastewater into clean freshwater.
However, its experimental treatment plant was closed just a year
later when cost and reliability issues proved too problematic to
overcome. In 1998, the Public Utilities Board and the Ministry
of the Environment and Water Resources in Singapore instituted a
water reclamation study. Its aim was to determine whether
recycled water and desalination could be viable options to meet
the country’s long-term water needs, and whether they would help
reduce Si