Singapore's water infrastructure wins international recognition at Global Water Awards

Changi Water Reclamation Plant conferred ‘Wastewater Project of the Year;’
Jurong Island Desalination Plant awarded distinction in ‘Desalination Plant of the Year’ category

(From left) Christopher Gasson, Managing Director of Global Water Intelligence; Low Pei Chin, Chief Engineer, Water Reclamation (Plants) Department, PUB; Gerry O’Toole, Director of Water, Jacobs; Susan Moisio, Global Vice President – Water, Jacobs

Singapore, 17 April 2024 – National water agency PUB snagged two awards at the Global Water Awards 2024 held in London yesterday. The Global Water Awards is presented annually to recognise the most important achievements in the international water sectors. Singapore’s Changi Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) was conferred the ‘Wastewater Project of the Year’ award, while the Jurong Island Desalination Plant (JIDP) clinched the distinction award in the ‘Desalination Plant of the Year’ category. 

2    Mr Ong Tze Ch’in, PUB’s Chief Executive, said: "We are grateful for this recognition by the global water industry, as it affirms PUB’s continuing journey of innovation and excellence. With climate change, we will need to continue improving our water infrastructure and operational efficiency.” 

3     Used water treatment and desalination are key elements of Singapore’s integrated water management. Singapore has effectively closed the water loop through the treatment of used water for NEWater production, while desalinating seawater is one of Singapore’s Four National Taps.  NEWater and desalinated water, our 3rd and 4th National Taps introduced in 2002 and 2005 respectively, are weather-resilient sources that strengthen our water security amid the challenges of climate change. 

Changi Water Reclamation Plant 

4     Changi Water Reclamation Plant, one of the largest and most advanced water reclamation facilities in the world, was conferred the ‘Wastewater Project of the Year’ award in recognition of its innovative practices in reducing its physical footprint. The other nominees in this category were Romania’s Glina Wastewater Treatment Plant expansion, the Shenzhen Fuyong Wastewater Treatment Plant (Phase 2) in China and Kuwait’s Umm Al Hayman Wastewater Treatment Plant. This is PUB’s second win in this category following the Ulu Pandan Integrated Validation Plant in 2018. 

5     Commissioned in 2008 as part of the Deep Tunnel Sewerage System (DTSS) Phase 1 project, the plant boasts a compact design and innovative features as it was constructed partially underground. The used water treatment facilities at Changi WRP are stacked to optimise space, allowing it to occupy a third of what conventional WRPs would require. 

6     Changi WRP’s Phase 2 expansion project, which is scheduled for completion by end-2024, will increase the plant’s used water treatment capacity from 176 million gallons per day (mgd) to 246 mgd – the equivalent of more than 440 Olympic-sized swimming pools. The increase in capacity will be achieved through the construction of a fifth treatment train, a separate wet weather facility (WWF) and the installation of advanced membrane bioreactor (MBR) equipment. 

7     Upon completion, Changi WRP will be Singapore’s largest MBR facility. MBR is a 3-in-1 solution that combines conventional bioreactors, secondary sedimentation tanks and microfiltration/ultrafiltration in one single stage. This allows downstream NEWater processes to be simplified with just reverse osmosis (RO) membranes and ultraviolet disinfection, negating the need for microfiltration. The filtrate obtained from MBR is also of higher quality, improving the overall lifespan of RO membranes and producing less biosolids. This will help PUB achieve a more efficient and reliable used water treatment process, while also optimising the subsequent NEWater treatment process. 

Jurong Island Desalination Plant

8     Singapore’s latest and fifth desalination plant, the Jurong Island Desalination Plant (JIDP), which opened in 2022, picked up the distinction award in the ‘Desalination Plant of the Year’ category, losing out to Saudi Arabia’s 3A Jubail Independent Water Plant. The other nominees for this award, which recognises a desalination plant for the most impressive technical or ecologically sustainable achievement in the industry, are Mexico’s Cabo San Lucas Plant and the Shoaiba 4 seawater reverse osmosis facility in Saudi Arabia. 

9     JIDP’s co-location with the Tembusu Multi-Utilities Complex (TMUC) allows it to tap on potential synergies and the sharing of resources with the power plant in TMUC. JIDP draws electricity directly from the adjacent power plant at TMUC, improving process efficiency and reducing the energy consumption by 5% as compared to conventional desalination plants, translating to annual energy savings sufficient to power nearly 1,000 HDB households. 

10     Modular systems were created in different areas of the desalination process and prefabricated offsite to simplify and speed up the completion of JIDP. The operations at the plant are highly automated to significantly reduce operator workload, allowing for more streamlined operations that can be controlled from the main control room. JIDP also incorporates advanced water treatment equipment and membrane technologies such as dissolved air flotation, ultra-filtration, and reverse osmosis, enabling the plant to further optimise the desalination process.

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Additional Information:

Photos of Changi Water Reclamation Plant and Jurong Island Desalination Plant