New Waters of Independence

Having traveled throughout Central and South America enough to appreciate the luxury of (and loathe the alternative to) potable tap water, I have become accustomed to ask rather early in my trip whether the water is safe enough to drink. Here in Singapore, I am happy to say that the water is perfectly safe to drink right out of the spigot—perhaps even too safe.

Having enough clean water to go around in this densely populated country is more of an accomplishment than at first meets the eye. Since its independence in 1963, Singapore has been trying to wean itself away from a dependence on the Malaysian water supply. In doing so, the country is taking three different approaches through water desalination, rainwater catchments, and the most innovative and probably most interesting NEWater, aka reclaimed water.

Reclaimed water can also be thought of as recycled water or as (I try not to think of when drinking it here) treated wastewater—that’s right, SEWAGE! The technology that Singapore has developed to reuse household water has made them the world’s largest producer of recycled water in the world. In a complicated process of dual-membrane osmosis, UV technologies, and more typical treatment measures, the branded “NEWater” created here is now almost too safe to drink.

A study recently found that the NEWater of Singapore is so pure that it can deny the body of important microbes that may help to maintain the immune system and thereby could cause harm by being too clean. In learning of this, the water plants have taking action by ensuring that the NEWater is mixed with desalinated water and rainwater, so that the proper level of dirt and grime get back into the water supply.

From sewage water to potable drinking water, Singapore’s NEWater is making headway in a truly sustainable system that should ensure Singapore’s independence from international water well before their original target date of 2061.

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