Water resources of Singapore
| Singapore: Water and Sanitation | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| Data | ||
| Access to an improved water source | 100% (2012) | |
| Access to improved sanitation | 100% (2012) | |
| Continuity of supply (%) | 100 | |
| Average urban water use (liter/capita/day) | 148 (2016) | |
| Average urban domestic water and sewer tariff per m3 | US$1.88 (S$2.38, 2012, for a consumption of 20m3 per month) | |
| Share of household metering | 100% | |
| Annual investment in water supply and sanitation | USD 609 million (2010), or USD 117/capita/year | |
| Financing | Self-financing through retained earnings, debt financing through bonds and project finance for desalination | |
| Institutions | ||
| Decentralization | No | |
| National water and sanitation company | Yes, the Public Utilities Board (PUB) | |
| Water and sanitation regulator | None | |
| Responsibility for policy setting | Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources | |
| Sector law | ||
| Number of urban service providers | 1 | |
Water supply and sanitation in Singapore is characterised by a number of achievements in the challenging environment of a densely populated island. Access to water is universal, affordable, efficient and of high quality. Innovative integrated water management approaches such as the reuse of reclaimed water, the establishment of protected areas in urban rainwater catchments and the use of estuaries as freshwater reservoirs have been introduced along with seawater desalination in order to reduce the country's dependence on water imported from neighboring country, Malaysia.
Singapore's approach does not rely only on physical infrastructure, but it also emphasizes proper legislation and enforcement, water pricing, public education as well as research and development. In 2007 Singapore's water and sanitation utility, the Public Utilities Board, received the for its holistic approach to water resources management.
The history of common water supply in Singapore began with the construction of the MacRitchie Reservoir, which was built by the British in 1866. The Lower Peirce Reservoir and the Upper Seletar Reservoir were completed in 1913 and 1949 respectively, in order to supply the rapidly modernising colonial city with sufficient water. In 1927 the municipal leadership of Singapore and Sultan Ibrahim of the state and territories of Johor in neighboring Malaya signed an agreement that allowed Singapore to rent land in Johor and use its water for free. In 1938 a pipeline to transport the raw water to Singapore was inaugurated. Another pipeline was built to return a smaller quantity of treated water to Johor. During the Battle of Singapore in 1942 the Causeway that links Singapore with Malaya and that carries the pipeline was blown up by retreating British troops, thus unintentionally destroying the pipeline, which left Singapore with water reserves that could last at most two weeks. According to Lee Kuan Yew, this was one of his motives to envision water self-sufficiency for Singapore later when he became the city-state's Prime Minister.
After the war, Singapore continued to grow rapidly and more water was needed to sustain the city’s growth. The 1927 agreement was superseded by two new agreements signed in 1961 and 1962 between the independent federation of Malaya and the self-governing British territory of Singapore. They foresaw the payment of a water rate in addition to the rent for the land.
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