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In Singapore, 40 per cent of water supply comes from recycled sewage

  • The city state uses a system that transforms sewage into water so clean it is fit for human consumption while reducing ocean pollution
  • Recycled waste water can now meet 40 per cent of Singapore’s water demand – a figure that’s expected to rise to 55 per cent by 2060

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The Bedok NEWater plant in Singapore. Photo: AFP
Giant pumps whirr deep underground at a plant in Singapore that helps transform sewage into water so clean it is fit for human consumption while reducing ocean pollution.
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The tiny island nation has little in the way of natural water sources and has long had to rely principally on supplies from neighbouring Malaysia.

To boost self-sufficiency, the government has developed an advanced system for treating sewage involving a network of tunnels and hi-tech plants.

Recycled waste water can now meet 40 per cent of Singapore’s water demand – a figure that is expected to rise to 55 per cent by 2060, according to the country’s water agency.

The Bedok NEWater plant in Singapore uses reverse osmosis to treat waste water. Photo: AFP
The Bedok NEWater plant in Singapore uses reverse osmosis to treat waste water. Photo: AFP
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While most is used for industrial purposes, some of it is added to drinking water supplies in reservoirs in the city state of 5.7 million people.

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