H2O Recycling Plant Another White Elephant By Our Elites?

• maurizio13

  22 Dec 07, 01:56

  Were our Elite Ministers all that brilliant when they envisaged a project to provide for our future water needs.
  
  With the current rainfalls per annum in Singapore, I think their plans was an EXTREMELY BAD CHOICE. Perhaps they were not so elite as to take into effect the global warming of earth, which would cause glaciers to retreat and more rainfalls dropping in between the tropics (equator included).
  
  Since, due to global warming and the shutting down of our thermohaline ocean circulation. The region in the tropics will receive more rainfall, as the heat water (from equator and tropics) does not travel to northern part of the pacific ocean to evaporate and turn into rainfall in those northern regions. Most of the water would evaporate in between the tropics and turn into rainfall in between the tropics. That's why we are seeing more rainfalls in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines.
  
  However, a thermohaline circulation shutdown could have other major consequences apart from cooling of Europe, such as an increase in major floods and storms, a collapse of plankton stocks, warming or rainfall changes in the tropics or Alaska and Antarctica (including those from intensified El Niño effect), more frequent and intense El Niño events, or an oceanic anoxic event (oxygen (O2) below surface levels of the stagnant oceans becomes completely depleted - a probable cause of past mass extinction events).
  
  With so much rainfall and an over abundance of water. What use do we have for a water recycling plant? I think in the end our water recycling plant would end up as another White Elephant, all because of ill-conceived ideas from our Ministers. So many smart aleck elites and they didn't factor in global warming into the equation.
  
  So is our Hyf|u}{ plant a negative present value investment?
  
  
• Alvin.Yeoh

  22 Dec 07, 04:48

  If we have an over abundance of water, why are we still buying it from Malaysia?
• maurizio13

  22 Dec 07, 05:07

  Originally posted by Alvin.Yeoh:

  If we have an over abundance of water, why are we still buying it from Malaysia?

  That was in the past.
  
  If you haven't noticed, for the past year we have been getting an abnormally high number of rainy days.
  
  Do you think we still need to buy water from Malaysia now?
  
  With the excess catchment of rain water in the reservoirs, I don't think we even need to activate the crap water recycling plant.
  
  Global warming causes glaciers to retreat and thermohaline circulation to stop, causing more rainfalls in the tropics.
• HyperFocal

  22 Dec 07, 05:21

  Originally posted by maurizio13:

  That was in the past.
  
  If you haven't noticed, for the past year we have been getting an abnormally high number of rainy days.
  
  Do you think we still need to buy water from Malaysia now?
  
  With the excess catchment of rain water in the reservoirs, I don't think we even need to activate the crap water recycling plant.
  
  Global warming causes glaciers to retreat and thermohaline circulation to stop, causing more rainfalls in the tropics.

  You know, obviously these so called 'elites' weren't hired to do any thinking...
  .. they are just supposed to follow orders, from one man's "thinking/ideals"...
  
  ...there can't be so many short-sighted elites, really....
• Alvin.Yeoh

  22 Dec 07, 06:26

  Do you have any figures or evidence to show that due to the current increase in rain fall that Singapore is now self-sufficient in water?
• maurizio13

  22 Dec 07, 06:28

  Originally posted by Alvin.Yeoh:

  Do you have any figures or evidence to show that due to the current increase in rain fall that Singapore is now self-sufficient in water?

  No.
  
  Do you have any figures or evidence to show that due to the current increase in rainfall that Singapore is NOT now self-sufficient in water?
  
  
• Alvin.Yeoh

  22 Dec 07, 06:41

  No but I'm not the one claiming that we are now either or that its a waste of money to set up a water recycling plant.
  What I'm trying to say is that by making such a big claim, you're going to need evidence and proof to back it up.
• maurizio13

  22 Dec 07, 06:47

  Originally posted by Alvin.Yeoh:

  No but I'm not the one claiming that we are now either or that its a waste of money to set up a water recycling plant.
  What I'm trying to say is that by making such a big claim, you're going to need evidence and proof to back it up.

  Ermmm.....
  
  With rainfalls almost 1-3 days apart, you don't need a rocket scientist to tell you that the rain collected is more than enough for needs.
  
  Places in Malaysia are flooded with above 1 meter water levels. The water recycling plant started, I think 3-4 years ago, when rainfall wasn't as frequent.
  
  I tried googling for data on rainfalls, but sad to say our NEA does not provide us with historical annual rainfalls.
• maurizio13

  22 Dec 07, 07:54

  All the reservoirs combined holds 142 million cubic meters of water.
  
  Singapore's water usage for 2000 is 455 million cubic meters of water per year.
  
  Annual rainfall for Singapore was 2400mm before 2004.
  
  Why was the reservoir enlarge from 31 million cubic meters to it's present 142 cubic million meters? It's probably because they do not have sufficient containment for all the water when it rains during the rainy season then.
  
  Stations in eastern Singapore around Changi recorded 330 mm to 360 mm (175% to 200% above average) for the first fortnight. However, rainfall decreased rapidly towards the west with Tuas and Jurong recording the lowest rainfall of 180 mm to 210 mm (50% to 75% above average).
  
  Say we take the average of 330, 360, 180 and 210 (2 weeks of rain). In a month there would be 540 mm of rain. In December alone, we have 22.5% of the total rainfall for 2004. If all the months have only half the rainfall in December, it would be 270mm a month, it would be 11mths x 270mm = 2970mm. That would make a total of 3510mm of rainfall for the year 2007.
  
  These days the rainy season is no longer restricted to December, which means the water in the reservoir could be replenish when it's being used up.
  [/url]
  
  With more rain throughout the year due to global warming, I think the water recycling plant was short-sighted decision.
  
  
• nonameguy

  22 Dec 07, 09:06

  Originally posted by maurizio13:
  Why was the reservoir enlarge from 31 million cubic meters to it's present 142 cubic million meters? It's probably because they do not have sufficient containment for all the water when it rains during the rainy season then.
  [/b]

  Or it's because they tried to collect more water by the reservoir and it still can't meet our needs? This topic makes me LOL.
• Arapahoe

  22 Dec 07, 19:47

  it would be hard to predict what the weather pattern would be like in the next few decade.
  
  I don;t think investing in infrastructure for water supply is a whilte elephant. After all you can;t be digging your well when water is running low cause u would be caugth with your pants down and had to ask for more water from your mood swing neighbour.
  
  water catchment there is only so much you can hold. u also have to considered the inflow and outflow.
• stupidissmart

  22 Dec 07, 21:06

  The water supply must be sufficient to be used on bad times, i.e times when there r little rain in singapore, not focusing only on the good times. Water in reservoir cannot be kept for a whole year. If u look at singapore population density and industrial, we should know tat we need a lot of water. Furthermore, due to global warming, the weather will become more unpredictable and more extreme. Tat means in future, when it is a dry seasion, it will be worse than now.
• CX

  23 Dec 07, 14:08

  Originally posted by maurizio13:

  All the reservoirs combined holds 142 million cubic meters of water.
  
  Singapore's water usage for 2000 is 455 million cubic meters of water per year.
  
  Annual rainfall for Singapore was 2400mm before 2004.
  
  Why was the reservoir enlarge from 31 million cubic meters to it's present 142 cubic million meters? It's probably because they do not have sufficient containment for all the water when it rains during the rainy season then.
  
  Stations in eastern Singapore around Changi recorded 330 mm to 360 mm (175% to 200% above average) for the first fortnight. However, rainfall decreased rapidly towards the west with Tuas and Jurong recording the lowest rainfall of 180 mm to 210 mm (50% to 75% above average).
  
  Say we take the average of 330, 360, 180 and 210 (2 weeks of rain). In a month there would be 540 mm of rain. In December alone, we have 22.5% of the total rainfall for 2004. If all the months have only half the rainfall in December, it would be 270mm a month, it would be 11mths x 270mm = 2970mm. That would make a total of 3510mm of rainfall for the year 2007.
  
  These days the rainy season is no longer restricted to December, which means the water in the reservoir could be replenish when it's being used up.
  [/url]
  
  With more rain throughout the year due to global warming, I think the water recycling plant was short-sighted decision.
  
  

  U're missing something here... u're assuming that rainwater is directly potable, which it is not...
  
  Indeed, if rainwater has indeed increased as u say, I would be concerned about the quality of the reservoirs because storm run-offs that feeds into such catchment areas go through some of the filthiest urban features on the island... building exteriors, streets, storm drains, etc etc...
  
  Water recycling is basically an extension of water treatment. At the end of the day, to ensure safe, consistent water quality, u still need to filter and chlorinate the stuff.
  
  Water recycling is just going one step further to ensure that should it be necessary, alternative sources of water can be tapped to ensure consistent supply through reverse osmosis. It is foresight.
  
  Its quite dangerous to trust our national survival to the whims and fancy of mother nature.