SINGAPORE : Tunnelling work for Singapore's S$7 billion Deep Tunnel Sewerage System has been completed.
Speaking at the completion ceremony on Monday, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, says this marks a crucial milestone in the Public Utilities Board's strategy to ensure a sustainable supply of water for Singapore.
The project involves building two tunnels - the North Tunnel, which is a 48-kilometre long sewer tunnel running from Kranji to Changi, and the Spur tunnel - to cater for further expansion of the system.
Together with its component link sewers, it will eventually allow for more than half of Singapore's used water to be directed to the Changi Water Reclamation Plant for treatment.
The effluent will then be discharged through the deep sea outfall into the Straits of Singapore.
Dr Yaacob says although Singapore is 100 percent sewered, as it grows and urbanises, more pumping stations will need to be built and water reclamation plants expanded to collect and treat the used water.
As this takes up precious land space and requires the set up of costly equipment for a high standard of water reclamation, in time to come, the entire sewerage system may become unsustainable.
The Deep Tunnel Sewerage System, to be ready by 2015, is based on the concept that used water can be conveyed through deep tunnels, using the natural force of gravity, to two centralised water reclamation plants.
This would free up land currently used to site the existing six water reclamation plants and 130 pumping stations, as well as the buffer land surrounding these plants.
At the same time, the centralisation of used water treatment at two water reclamation plants will be more cost effective in the long run.
It will also allow for the channelling of used water to NEWater factories. - CNA