The 3rd
national tap that helps Singapore increase the water supply is the NEWater. NEWater
and desalination were explored as
means to reduce reliance on water imported from Malaysia. In 2001, PUB began an effort
to increase water supplies for non-potable use. Using NEWater for these
applications would reduce the demand on the reservoirs for potable water. The
water will go through the first barrier; it is process whereby the used water
is treated in the Water Reclamation Plant. The second barrier uses microfiltration
to filter out suspended solids, colloidal particles, disease-causing bacteria, some viruses and protozoan cysts. The filtered water that goes
through the membrane now contains only dissolved salts and organic molecules.
The third barrier is reverse osmosis; it is a semi-permeable membrane filters out undesirable contaminants that
cannot pass through the membrane. Hence, NEWater is free from viruses and
bacteria and contains very low levels of salts and organic matter. At this stage, the
water is already of potable quality. The fourth barrier, acts as a safety
precaution. UV disinfection is used to ensure that all organisms
are inactivated and the purity of the product water guaranteed. With the
addition of some alkaline chemicals to restore the pH balance, the NEWater is ready for
use.
The
advantage is that it’s reliable as it does not need to depend on weather or other
countries.
However,
its disadvantage is that the price to maintain the whole factory is very high
and people might not be used to the taste as it undergoes some processes so
most of the waters used in industries that requires high purified water.
Text Source: http://www.pub.gov.sg/water/newater/newatertech/Pages/default.aspx
Photo Source:http://singaporecity360.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/NEWaterVisitorCentre_0.jpg
Video Source:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1rb13g6dTU
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