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Water: From Scarce Resource to National Asset Singapore‘s Urban Systems Studies Booklet Series

The Singapore of today has an excellent water management system in place that ensures a robust and diversifi ed water supply through our Four National Taps, namely local catchment water, imported water, NEWater and desalinated water. However, our water journey has been all but smooth. Despite an abundant average rainfall of 2400mm/year, there were insuffi cient catchment areas to capture and store the rainwater in the 1970s. ? e water shortage was exacerbated by the polluted waterways that rendered rain water fl owing in them unfi t for treatment for drinking purposes. ? e open sewers, poor sanitation and seasonal fl oods further compounded the pollution problem. Th e Water Urban Systems Study succinctly captures how Singapore was able to turn its water constraints into a virtue, highlighting the three key principles that underpinned the eff orts of PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency, in ensuring water sustainability– Collect every drop of rainwater, Collect every drop of used water, and Reuse every drop of water more than once. ? ese principles have successfully been translated into results through the government’s fi nancial prudence, foresight to plan ahead, commitment to meticulous implementation, and strong support from the people, public and private sectors.

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