The relentless innovation is happening at multiple levels, and it’s being driven from the top. This was incidently one of the key findings from our joint SIWW workshop (see more detailed initial findings here) and my colleague Ralph speaks to this in the first half of his video interview.  He also went on to talk through how Dutch company PWNT is working with PUB on one exciting and potential water technology as well as the how Singapore’s own Hyflux demonstrated a creative and tangible example of applying lessons from a deeper understanding of the nexus of water and energy. “Believe me, that caught the industry’s attention,” Ralph said.

Leadership from the top - a key finding of the WaterDialogue workshop @SIWW. Pictured is Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr. Lee Hsien Loong and Mr. Tommy Koh, Ambassador-At-Large, Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the inaugural Water Conversation. Coutesy of SIWW

What caught my attention was when Michael touched on the special characteristics of mangrove plants – how they can survive in fresh and salty conditions. It reminded me of picking up bug bites last September helping to clean up the Pandan Mangrove at the 25th annual International Coastal Clean-up.

Despite that odd allergic reaction, it was such a rewarding experience with my colleagues. Chen Feng convinced me to give up my Saturday when he said, “We are doing more than just collecting rubbish! We’re collating data and this will be used by Government to determine and update anti-littering and public smoking policies.”

Early morning at Pandan Mangrove. A remarkable ecosystem in Singapore that little people are aware of, and is unfortuantely a little mistreated. But with knowledge comes a power to act.

Everything is connected. One of the organisers said at the time that the Singaporean public were largely unaware of the volume of rubbish that reaches their shoreline everyday because waste collection services clean beaches every morning before 7.  And do people in Singapore know that Pandan Mangrove, which is only in reality a fragment of a Mangrove, still contains “more plant biodiversity than  many large mangroves in South America,” according to the same organiser?

The point for my high horse is that there is still lots to learn and lots to strive for, even in Singapore. We are only learning more by coming together and sharing. It’s why there are many at Black & Veatch who are dedicated to running the SIWWDIARY blog every year with our friends at PUB – thank you again this year to Sharon Chang and Syed Omar Fadzil especially. Thank you to all the roving reporters and Joh Ting Koh (now at PUB too!) who stayed involved in the project and also helped re-enlist some old friends from Ngee Ann Polytechnic too. And thank you to all our new journalism and media friends from Singapore Polytechnic: Trudy Lim and Gamar Abdul Aziz and their students from the first and third year classes. We hope everyone keeps learning and sharing.

345 posts in three years and counting!

The first event being held was the prize presentation for the Project H20 competition, with the guest of honor being none other than Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien, Senior Minister of State for Information, Communications and the Arts, and the Environment and Water Resources in Singapore, as well as the MP of Yuhua constituency.

The rest of the festival consisted of several games stations set up by students of participating schools, for the enjoyment and education of all the students attending the festival, as well as a talk held by Senoko Energy about water conservation which was attended by the teachers.

There were many interesting sights to take note of whilst browsing through the various stations set up by the students. However, the thing that really caught my attention was an actual artificial which had been constructed in the school.

The wetland, as I’ve been informed, was only recently constructed, and accurately portrays the ecosystem of naturally occurring wetlands, such as the types of plants growing there as well as the ph level of the water. It even serves an educational purpose as students study the wetlands as part of their science lessons.

From what I’ve seen, the day really shaped up to be a rather memorable and enjoyable one for the students in attendance. Not only did they get to have fun, but they also walked away with plenty to remember of their day.

By Zainal Ariffin, Singapore Polytechnic, Roving Reporter for Youth@SIWW

Photo contributed by Tng Wee Hong, Photographer for Youth@SIWW

50 lower secondary school students attended the Learning trail at Macritchie in conjunction of the http://www.siww.com.sg/water-showcases. One of the tasks that the students had to do was to piece together puzzle depicting the process of how potable water is obtained. Local catchment water is one of the four national taps of Singapore and it is important for the young ones to know how this water reaches our homes eventually.

Here are the more technical bits to boost your knowledge – runoff water from the rain will be collected in the reservoir and a draw-off tower is present to draw water from the reservoir and send it to the pumping station downstream. The pumping station then pumps water from the reservoir to the water treatment plant where water is treated and disinfected before it is distributed to all parts of Singapore. In case of heavy rain, the spillway constructed allows water to overflow from the reservoir and helps control flood and protect the dam.

Through this learning trail, students also learnt about the biodiversity of the forest and how human activities impact the natural environment. I am sure they had an enriching experience in the learning trail and took away as much as I did.

By Tang Chee Xuan, Roving Reporter for Youth@SIWW

Despite representing 5% of the world’s population, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region shockingly contains only 10% of the world’s water resources. This limitation poses an imminent threat to MENA’s economic growth and development on the whole. Dr Mahmoud Abdelhaliem Abu Zeid, president of the Arab Water Council gave the keynote address of the forum, highlighting features of the MENA region and the challenges that it is facing.

The MENA region has an extremely dry climate with annual average precipitation of only 56 mm per year. Groundwater aquifers are shared between countries in the region, further limiting the capacity of water available for countries’ usage. The MENA region faces many challenges such as scarcity of water, growing population pressure, fluctuating food supply, improper sanitation and destruction of the physical environment due to conflicts and war.

Dr Mahmoud said that currently the MENA region is dealing with this issue through demand and supply management. MENA also uses desalination and extraction of brackish water to supply its water sources at the moment. Big opportunities are evidently present for water firm in the arid MENA region as demand for clean water continues rising with its economy. However, as mentioned by the keynote speaker, in order for the water industry to flourish, it must be accompanied by investments from both the public and private sectors. Proper risks assessment must be done as well before companies venture into MENA region due to the political situation there.

By Tang Chee Xuan, Roving Reporter for Youth@SIWW

The centre research activities are mainly focused on applied membrane technology for ‘Sustainable Water’ and is achieved through a combination of students from different universities and industry partners. The laboratory is equipped with state of the art facilities and supported by modern analytical instruments to enable high quality membrane research such as Particle Image Velocimetry. SMTC welcomes collaboration with other research institutions and industry on projects relating to membranes and the environment and water technology.

By Tang Chee Xuan, Roving Reporter for Youth@SIWW

Mr Eugene Heng from Waterways Watch Society gave an insightful talk on the direct impact of global warming on water supplies and agriculture. Highlighting the upcoming development of sports hub and garden by the bay, Mr Heng challenged students to not pollute the environment whilst enjoying these new facilities. He also urged students to take part in movement 364 that was launched on last year’s Asian Water Symposium with the aim of practicing good recycling and reusing habits everyday.

The past, present and forecasted future of the Singapore River was highlighted as well to remind students on how our clean and green city should not be taken for granted.

By Tang Chee Xuan, Roving Reporter for Youth@SIWW

Professor Tommy Koh, the Ambassador-At-Large at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs kicked off a series of three closing ceremony speeches by applauding the Singapore International Water Week for its resounding success: “I am confident I speak for all of us when I say that the SIWW has grown bigger and better with each edition.”

Following which, Mr Dan McCarthy, President and Chief Executive Officer of Black and Veatch Water and Robert W. Bailey, President of the Water Business Group took the stage with their closing speech.

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for The Environment and Water Resources of Singapore ended the Water Leaders Summit by sharing some of the points he had learnt over the last few days. This included rational decision making, the need for integration, the need to exploit new technologies, the need to share data and security and resistance.

With that, Dr Balakrishnan ended his speech by thanking the audience once again for their participation and contribution to the fruitful and invigorating discussions at this year’s Water Leaders Summit.

The next Water Week 2012 will be held from 2 – 6 July, in conjunction with the third World Cities Summit, which is a biennial event for international, high level exchanges and showcases of integrated urban solutions. The theme for next year’s Water Week is “Water Solutions for Liveable and Sustainable Cities”.

Reported by: Nicholas Teo, Singapore Polytechnic, Roving Reporter for Youth@SIWW

Well, I was right on at least two counts- there were indeed mathematical formulas and technical jargon during the discussions, but there was one thing I did not expect- me enjoying these forums. Attending these forums reminded me of attending lectures in Singapore Polytechnic - there was a sense of familiarity about it.

I particularly enjoyed the keynote speech by Lord Julian Hunt, the Baron Hunt of Chesterton and former tutor of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who managed to cram many interesting information about the “Implication of Climate Change for expanding Cities World Wide” into appropriate visual aids such as bars and charts.

Through his presentation, I learnt about some of the challenges cities faced, such as the trends in growth of the urban areas, policy concerns and the risks associated with urban growth and climate change.

Did you know that at this very second, ice sheets the size of Singapore which are formed in 2002 are disappearing in a month? Glaciers are also moving much more rapidly than before. Climate change is a real and very serious issue, but at the very least, countries are taking a much more active role in preventing now.

Millions, and sometimes billions of dollars are going into investments for effective water management. Take Australia for example, the country has invested $30 billion for a five year plan on water projects.

Through the forums, I have learned many new things and ways in which governments and businesses around the world are using to combat climate change. With so much effort being put in to water conservation, one can only hope that it will all pay off one day.

By Nicholas Teo, Singapore Polytechnic, Roving Reporter for Youth@SIWW

PUB Technical Officer Hor Wei Keat, 30, listens earnestly and answers with detailed explanation

It seems like the long haul of finding external sources for water will soon cease to a problem as Singapore takes measures towards self-sufficiency.

Punggol Reservoir and Serangoon Reservoir are the newest additions to the Singapore’s list of 16 reservoirs. These two reservoirs are the only ones that are linked by waterways that border the housing estates in the area.

The reservoirs also serve their purposes in contributing to meeting Singapore’s current water needs. With the influx of foreigners and a growing population here in Singapore, the consumption and demands for water has grown in the past few years as well. The two dams work well in closing the river mouths, trapping the water within the reservoirs. The flow of the water will lead to Punggol-Serangoon Water Plant which will purifies the water for safe consumption and usage.  

PUB Technical Officer Hor Wai Keat, 30,said the two man-made reservoirs are attempts to maximize the land area in Singapore. Given the small size of the country and its booming economy in the different industry sectors, Hor Wai Keat explains the long-term goal.

“Water will be a main concern in the future because of the environmental changes and other factors. Building reservoirs can actually help Singapore in working towards self- sufficiency.”

One of the main aims of PUB is to educate and inform people on how to create a clean and safe environment. Hor Wai Keat mentioned that litter and rubbish on the land does have an implication to the pollution of water.  The rain plays a major role because it washes the dirt and waste from land into the banks of the reservoirs. 

He added that the reservoirs have been strategically positioned in the northeastern outskirts of Singapore to promote recreational activities. Lorong Halus Wetland was once a landfill, but now an educational stop to learn about the purification process of the water. Sengkang Floating Wetland is also open for the public to go on trails to learn more about the wildlife, plants and wetlands.

The waterway in Punggol is also a platform to promote water-activities amongst the citizens. It is also open for public and schools usage for canoeing and kayaking. With activities going on, he said that the place would be ‘more lively and beautiful.’

 Treelodge at Punggol is a new housing development project by the Housing Development Board (HDB). It is the first in Singapore to have a waterway right at the entrance of the estate.

Temasek Polytechnic student Asha Mageswari D/O Rajendran, 21,  gives high praises to Treelodge claiming that she will definitely want to stay in the Treelodge. She observed that it is a rare sight to see greenery out of the window when faced with buildings and flats.

Not Your Ordinary Sachet: PUR is an effective purifier of contaminated water

At a first glance, it might look like any other ordinary sachet of sugar. But this sachet is different. It holds the key to saving lives.

The sachet, known as PUR, is in fact a powdered mixture that purifies heavily contaminated water into safe and clean drinking water. It can effectively kill off bacteria and viruses and remove dirt in polluted water. 

It is the driving force behind the P&G Children’s Safe Drinking Water Programme (CSDWP).

When asked about the programme’s vision and mission, Joel Lim, P&G exhibitor, said, ‘We hope to be able to provide enough clean water to save one life every hour through this program (CSDWP).’

Ever since creating PUR back in 2001, P&G have been working hard towards their goal, having provided clean drinking water to over 60 countries.

Their main efforts are targeted at emergency relief in major natural disasters areas such as the recent Haiti and Chile earthquakes.

However, much of the sachets also go towards combating cholera outbreaks in Africa.

‘Our main objective is to save the lives of children. And since it (cholera) is one of the deadliest diseases and a common cause of death (among infants), we are focusing efforts on providing it (PUR) to them (Africa) since the sanitary conditions are bad there,’ added Mr Lim.

He also stressed that the CSDWP is a non-profit programme and PUR is not sold commercially.

‘We are committed to the long-term effort to reduce illness and death, especially (in) children. We hope that this (CSDWP) will benefit communities such as Unicef in the long run,’ he explained.

Recent results have shown that PUR is proving to be effective and many have benefitted from it. The three billion litres of clean water provided so far have helped avert more than 120 million days of diarrheal illness.

PUR-e Success: Results have shown PUR is an effective purifier.

Other than their goal of saving lives, P&G have also concentrated efforts on providing education about importance of safe drinking water to school programs and health clinics.

Dr. Greg Allgood, Director of P&G CSDWP, travels around the world every year distributing PUR sachets and working to improve the lives of others.

“I feel that it’s my duty to save the lives of children and educate the world about the benefits of clean drinking water,’ he said.

According to Dr. Allgood, P&G is ‘well on their way to delivering four billion litres of clean drinking water by 2012’.

“The signs are very encouraging (at the moment). Eventually, in order to realize our goal (saving one life every hour), we hope to be able to deliver more than two billions litres of clean drinking water every year by 2020,’ concluded Dr. Allgood.

If the goal is achieved eventually, it would mean saving an estimated 10,000 lives on an annual basis.