NEWater is the best method

NEWater is the best method because it is not very expensive for my country and it is very reliable because it recycles waste water into pure drinking water.It is good to recycle water because water should not be wasted as it is very precious and my country is facing a shortage of water so it would be the best source.We can also have a constant supply of water because NEWater would not be affected by the weather so it is perfectly fine.Although it has many advantages,it also has a disadvantage.As we know,NEWater is water that is recycled from waste water.Some people might feel disgusted as it is recycled from waste water.They might not want to drink it but we can educate the public about the advantages and safety of NEWater so that everybody can drink NEWater and my country can have a constant supply of water.

Desalination

On 13 September 2005, the country opened its first desalination plant by SingSpring. SingSpring is majority-owned by CitySpring Infrastructure Trust (CitySpring). The plant, located at Tuas, can produce 30 million gallons of water (136,380 m³) each day. Worth S$200 million, it is one of the biggest in the world and meets 10 percent of the country's water needs.The plant also produces bottled water called the Desal H2O. A bid for a second desalination plant with a capacity of 318,500 m³ per day, also located at Tuas, was launched in June 2010.The government has identified five coastal sites for future plants, with the objective of bringing the installed capacity to one million m³ per day by 2060.
Some observers have suggested that Singapore could become the world's water hub for water recycling and desalination technology and could export this technology to the world including China. Dr Masaru Kurihara, director of the International Desalination Association, said that with the new technology in water reclamation, waste water would become the most important sustainable water resource in the future.Advantages of these tap is that it has an unlimited water supply and it is reliable and a safe way to get contaminated/salt water to a pure drinking water.A disadvantage is that it is expensive and uses much energy.

NEWater

Water recycling in Singapore began in 1974 but the experimental treatment plant was closed a year later due to cost and reliability issues.
The Singapore Water Reclamation Study (NEWater Study) was initiated in 1998 by the Public Utilities Board (PUB) and the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR). The aim of this study was to determine if NEWater was a viable source of raw water for Singapore's needs. NEWater and desalination were explored as means to reduce reliance on water imported from Malaysia, which has been a source of friction over the years. Also, while the Malaysian government is bound by two treaties to sell Singapore water until 2011 and 2061, it is under no obligation to do so after these dates.
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^.

Singapore has a total of five operational NEWater factories, at Bedok, Kranji, Seletar, Ulu Pandan and a newly opened plant at Changi. The first two were commissioned at the end of 2002, the Seletar plant in February 2004, and the Ulu Pandan plant on March, 2007. For educational purposes, there is a Visitor Centre located within the NEWater factory in Bedok, near the Singapore Expo Tanah Merah MRT Station.  Entrance into the Visitor Centre is free.

Process

NEWater is the product from a multiple barrier water reclamation process:

• The first barrier is the conventional wastewater treatment process whereby the used water is treated in the Water Reclamation Plants.

• The second barrier, and first stage of the NEWater production process, uses microfiltration/ultrafiltration to filter out suspended solids, colloidal particles, disease-causing bacteria, some viruses and protozoan cysts. The filtered water that goes through the membrane contains only dissolved salts and organic molecules.

• The third barrier, and second stage of the NEWater production process, utilizes reverse osmosis (RO). In RO, a semi-permeable membrane filters out undesirable contaminants such as bacteria, viruses, heavy metals, nitrate, chloride, sulphate, disinfection by-products, aromatic hydrocarbons, and pesticides 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, and third stage of the NEWater production process, acts as 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.

Advantages of the source is that it enhances national security and can have constant water supply.The disadvantage is that many people would not drink it because it is waste water that has been recycled into drinking water.
At present, the total capacity of the three factories is about 20 million US gallons per day (75,700 m³/day). About 6% of this is used for indirect potable use, which contributes 1% of Singapore's potable water requirements of 300 million US gallons per day (13 m³/s). The rest of the water is used at wafer fabrication plants and other non-potable applications in industries in Woodlands, Tampines, Pasir Ris, and Ang Mo Kio .

Imported Water From Neighbouring Countries

For decades, Singapore has relied on importation from Johor state in Malaysia to supply half of its water consumption. As of 2009, imported water had been reduced to 40% of total consumption.Two water supply agreements between Malaysia and the British crown colony Singapore were signed in 1961 and 1962 respectively. The first agreement is due to expire in 2011, the second in 2061. Under these agreements the price of water is set at a very low level of less than 1 cent per 1000 gallons. The two countries are in disagreement about the future price of water. In the absence of a resolution, the government of Singapore decided to increase self-sufficiency in its water supply.An advantage of this source is that we can have a more supply of water.A disadvantage is that the amount that can be drawn is limited according to the contract signed and it increase Singapore's vulnerability since Malaysia can cut off the water supply.

Water Catchments Area

Two thirds of the country's surface area are classified as partly protected catchment areas with certain restrictions on land use, so that the rainwater can be collected and used as drinking water. As of 2010, the water supply system included 19 raw water reservoirs, 9 treatment works and 17 service reservoirs for treated water. The largest reservoir, the Marina Bay reservoir inaugurated in 2008, is in the estuary of a river that has been closed off by a barrage to keep the seawater out. Two similar barrages are due to be completed in 2011 and will form the Punggol Reservoir and the Serangoon Reservoir.Tha advantage of water catchment areas is that it is a inexpensive source to get more water supply.The disadvantage is that this source is unreliable as during periods of dry seasons,we might not get enough rainwater to be collected by the reseirvoirs.

Singapore's Water Supply

Singapore does not have much water supply but over the years,it has increased its water supply with many ways.
The water resources of Singapore are especially precious given the small amount of land and territory in Singapore's geography while having a large urban population in the city-state. Without natural freshwater lakes, Singapore relies on four water sources:

• rainfall, collected in reservoirs or water catchment areas (about 20% of supply in 2010),
• Imported water from Malaysia (about 40% of supply),
• Reclaimed water (producing NEWater) (30% of supply), and
• Seawater desalination (10% of supply).

This "four tap" strategy aims to reduce reliance on supply from Malaysia by increasing the volume supplied from the three other sources, or "national taps".Let us look at these 4 sources closely.