PUB’s 60th Anniversary

Our Water Story

This year marks the 60th anniversary of PUB.

From the early days of widespread floods and pollution and the daunting challenge of providing adequate water for a growing nation, PUB has worked tirelessly to build a diversified and sustainable water supply through the Four National Taps. Today, PUB is well regarded as one of the world’s leading water utilities. Our tap water is also one of the best in the world, with its quality well within the World Health Organization’s (WHO) guidelines for drinking-water standards. It is suitable for direct drinking from the tap without further filtration.

Over 60 years, PUB has turned challenge into strength, advancing Singapore’s water security. This is made possible by long term planning and continuous innovation and investment in new technologies to meet Singapore’s water needs. Our Water Story is a testament to what we can achieve through bold vision, ingenuity and a strong can-do spirit of our pioneers together with generations of our people in PUB, working towards a common goal.

Looking forward, we will continue to innovate and chart new frontiers and write the next chapters for Our Water Future.

PUB commemorates our 60th anniversary in 2023 to celebrate our achievements in developing a resilient and sustainable water system for Singapore, providing clean, safe and reliable water for everyone.

The PUB 60 logo uses the same shades of blue from the PUB logo, which symbolises the different water sources – seawater, reclaimed water (NEWater) and catchment water.

The design of “60” is adapted from the swirls from the PUB corporate logo. It is crafted into an infinity symbol using a continuous ribbon, which symbolises using water in an endless loop and a sustainable water future with infinite possibilities.

Key Milestones of Our Water Story

The Singapore River clean-up launched in 1977 was a major multi-agency effort led by PUB that spanned over a decade. With the clean-up of heavily polluted waters, proper sewerage infrastructure and anti-pollution measures were implemented to keep our waterways clean.

Marina Barrage, a dam build across the Marina Channel, created Singapore’s first reservoir in the heart of the city and alleviated flooding in the low-lying city area. It was a visionary conceived in 1987. Today, the barrage is also a popular lifestyle location for many Singaporeans.

In 2002, we launched NEWater which is Singapore’s own brand of ultra-clean, high-grade recycled water after years of research and trials. Our first NEWater Factories in Bedok and Kranji were commissioned in February 2003. With NEWater, we can close the water loop and reuse water in an endless cycle, a boost to our water security and sustainability.

Desalination provided another climate-resilient water source when technological advancements brought down the cost of desalinating seawater. In 2005, with the opening of the SingSpring Desalination Plant, Singapore further diversified its water sources and turned on its fourth National Tap.

Over the years PUB has made significant strides to mitigate flooding and expand drainage infrastructure, where feasible, in land-constrained Singapore. These efforts have seen flood prone areas in Singapore reduced from 3,200 hectares in the 1970s to less than 30 hectares today.

PUB launched Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters (ABC Waters) programme in 2006 to be implemented in tandem with drainage improvement works. By adopting innovative design and environmentally sustainable features, we transformed our utilitarian drains, canals and reservoirs into multifunctional recreational spaces where people can be close to water and become stewards of our waterways and waterbodies.

With climate change bringing about more intense rainfall and extreme weather, PUB will continue to carry out drainage improvement works to cater for higher rainfall intensities, and strengthen flood protection for Singapore.

In Singapore, we treat used water as a precious resource, that can be collected and treated to be fit for recycling.

The Deep Tunnel Sewerage System (DTSS) is a superhighway to collect and channel used water by gravity to the large water reclamation plants where it will be treated and purified into NEWater. DTSS is an effective and sustainable solution to meet Singapore’s long-term used water needs, as it will enable us to do large scale used water collection and recycling, thus ensuring the sustainability of NEWater.

Phase 1 of DTSS that serves eastern Singapore was completed in 2008. Phase 2 of the project, covering the western part of the island, is expected complete in 2026.

In April 2020, PUB was appointed the national coastal protection agency, to lead, coordinate and explore whole-of-government efforts to protect Singapore’s coastlines against the threat of rising sea level due to climate change and global warming.

Since May 2021, PUB has commenced several site-specific studies for the different segments of our coastline including City-East Coast, Jurong Island and the north-west coast to explore multi-functional solutions that can integrate with land use and development plans. We are also developing a Coastal-Inland Flood Model to better assess the combined effects of rising sea level and intense rainfall.

Our Water Future

Climate change will have a significant impact on our water sources - prolonged dry spell will threaten our water sustainability; more intense rain will increase the risk of flooding, while long-term sea level rise will inundate Singapore’s coastal areas.

PUB will continue to ensure a resilient and sustainable water system for Singapore to meet increased water demand and prepare Singapore for the long-term challenges of climate change and rising sea levels.

To build a more sustainable future, PUB is also stepping up efforts to decarbonise through a 3R strategy – Replace, Reduce and Remove to reduce carbon emissions from water treatment processes and operations. Some initiatives include deployment of floating solar panels on our reservoirs, and ongoing research to reduce energy usage in desalination and innovative solutions for carbon capture.

We continue to call on everyone to play a part in conserving water to protect the environment, in keeping our waterways clean, and in caring for Singapore's precious water resources.

Together, we will build a more resilient and sustainable water future for generations to come.

General

Professionals

Industry

e-Services

Resources

Celebrating 60 Years of Water Excellence

Our Water Story

Key Milestones of Our Water Story

Supply Good Water

Tame Stormwater

Reclaim Used Water

Resist Rising Seas

Our Water Future

Videos

Building a Barrage, Creating an Icon

The Story of NEWater

Wonder Beneath our Feet