MFA Press Statement: Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Seminar on Sustainable Management of Wastewater and Sanitation, 26 to 27 June 2015

[From left to right: Professor Ong Say Leong, National University of Singapore; Professor MIM Mowjood, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka; Mr Kamal Vaswani, Director-General (Europe), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore; Dr Tao Guihe, Principal Specialist (Water Reclamation), PUB Singapore; Professor Hiroaki Tanaka, Kyoto University, Japan; Mr Bruno Nguyen, International Hydrological Programme, UNESCO Division of Water Sciences; Professor Hu Jiangyong, National University of Singapore; Dr Pan Zhehao, Sembcorp; Mr Tan Yok Gin, Deputy Chief Executive (Operations), PUB Singapore; H.E. Mr Tormod Endresen, Ambassador of Norway; Professor C. Visvanathan, Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand; Ms Agnieszka Kozlowska-Korbicz, Director of GreenEvo, Ministry of Environment, Poland; Professor Wang Xiaochang, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology; Professor Li Xiao-yan, The University of Hong Kong, China; Dr Liao Zuliang, Cambi Asia Pacific; Mr Takehiko Kawai, Japan Sanitation Consortium; Ms Jaya Myler, World Toilet Organisation; Mr Khew Swee Lian, Regional Office for the Western Pacific, World Health Organisation; and Ms Bushra Nishat, International Water Association.]

                    The Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Seminar on Sustainable Management of Wastewater and Sanitation is being held in Singapore from 26 to 27 June 2015.  It is co-organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National University of Singapore, and co-sponsored by the Republic of India and the Kingdom of Norway. 

                    The seminar provides a platform for an exchange of views and experiences on best practices amongst policymakers, researchers and operational experts.  Its main objectives are to share technical expertise and solutions in wastewater management and sanitation, and to foster closer Asia-Europe cooperation.  More than a hundred participants from Asia and Europe are participating in the seminar.  Additional information on the event can be obtained from: http://www.aseminfoboard.org/events/asem-seminar-sustainable-management-wastewater-and-sanitation.

                   PUB Singapore Deputy Chief Executive (Operations) Mr Tan Yok Gin delivered the keynote speech at the opening ceremony this morning. The transcript of his speech is attached.

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE

26 JUNE 2015

KEYNOTE SPEECH BY MR TAN YOK GIN, DEPUTY CHIEF EXECUTIVE (OPERATIONS) OF PUB SINGAPORE, AT THE ASIA-EUROPE MEETING (ASEM) SEMINAR ON SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF WASTEWATER AND SANITATION

Excellencies

Distinguished Guests

Ladies & Gentlemen

Introduction

1.                  I am happy to be here with you today for this Asia-Europe Meeting Seminar. This is a great opportunity for us to share our management practices, technical expertise and solutions for sustainable wastewater and sanitation management. I believe that over these two days, the cooperation between Asia and Europe can be further strengthened through exchanges on the developments in these fields in our respective regions.

2.                  As countries become increasingly urbanised, it is even more important that proper wastewater and sanitation management systems are established to protect the environment, public health and water sources. Asia has witnessed much improvement over the last 25 years, where sanitation coverage has increased by 23%. However the UN estimates that a staggering almost 2 billion people in Asia still lack access to improved sanitation. Europe has 67 million people who lack this basic access. This has led to outbreaks of waterborne diseases that have cost many lives globally.

3.                  The rapid industrialisation and urbanisation of Asia today mirrors that of Europe in the 18th and 19th century. The relentless chase for economic growth has put pollution to a low priority and treat it as a necessary evil to be dealt with later when the economy has grown. However, histories have taught us that taking a short-term view only leads to severe destruction of the living environment, enormous technical difficulties and economic costs during clean-ups in the future.

4.                  In highly populated urban areas, besides the pollution from municipal wastewater, severe pollution from industrial effluent discharge posing even greater destruction to the environment and the water resources. These different sources of pollution pose many challenges, demanding more innovative and sustainable treatment technologies to effectively and more economically deal with them. All of these realities pointing towards a common need for better solutions that will be developed faster by us working together.

5.                  I would like to share three points about sustainable wastewater and sanitation management, which we have learnt from Singapore’s experience over the last 50 years. They are:

a) Wastewater management is a Government’s strategic imperative

b) Effective wastewater management is a precursor for water reclamation

c) Successful wastewater management requires innovation and collaborations

Wastewater Management is a government’s strategic imperative

6.                  First. Wastewater management is a Government’s strategic imperative. It is a reflection on the state of development of our societies, and is one of the key aspects of protecting the precious water resources from which we draw on for drinking purposes. Wastewater management presents a dual public health and environmental protection challenge for both emerging and developed countries, and when done well, it creates a more liveable environment that brings about social and economic benefits.

7.                  Singapore did not have a comprehensive wastewater management network when we became independent in 1965. In the late 1960s, a multi-agency approach involving urban planners, housing, environment, trade and industry agencies developed the Sewerage Master Plan so that 100% of Singapore would have access to modern sanitation. Trade effluent regulations with strict penalties were legislated to ensure that effluent discharged into the sewers met specified water quality limits. The separation between drainage and sewerage systems was also explicitly stipulated. Our leaders spared no effort and recognised that this was crucial not only for the people’s quality of life but also for sustaining Singapore’s economic growth.

8.                  The Singapore River, which is the main waterway that cuts through the financial district, used to be heavily polluted from the activities of squatters, hawkers and manufacturing industries that crowded the banks of the River, leading to severe pollution. In 1977, the clean-up of Singapore's 2 main rivers began and by 1987, the rivers were completely rehabilitated. The Singapore River clean-up is often mistaken to involve just physical dredging of the river bed to rid it of foul-smelling mud and restoration and beautification of the river banks. The actual river clean-up involves resettling of street hawkers to hawkers centers, slumps to HDB flats, relocation of shipyards along the river banks, elimination of duck farms, pig farms, proper collection and disposal of refuse, extensive sewering up of homes and commercial premises so that all the wastewater is diverted to proper treatment facilities…etc. This enabled us to transform the area around the Singapore River into a lifestyle hub, and more importantly, it sets the stage for us to develop a barrage and reservoir in the heart of the city by 2008.

9.                  Today, as you take a walk from this hotel along the banks of the Singapore River towards the Marina Reservoir, you will appreciate that it is unlike many other polluted urban waterways. Such is the dramatic transformation that has been achieved through proper catchment planning, pollution control, and building a comprehensive wastewater network. 100% of the nation is now sewered up, and this has allowed the Government to create a beautiful living environment for our people, while at the same time ensuring public health. These two outcomes are important goals of Governments worldwide, and I have to emphasise that a key enabler is effective wastewater management.

Effective wastewater management is a precursor for water reclamation

10.             This brings me to my second point, the next stage in Singapore’s wastewater story. At this juncture, I would like to share that in Singapore, we term “Wastewater” as “Used Water” and “Sewage Treatment Plants” as “Water Reclamation Plants”. This fundamental shift, though subtle, has reframed the manner in which we view wastewater. In our integrated approach to water management, wastewater is no more a “waste”, but a previous resource. Therefore, in a closed-loop system, effective wastewater management is a precursor for water reclamation.

11.             Singapore’s NEWater story involved a journey that spanned 3 decades. Singapore’s first water masterplan was drawn up in 1972. In 1974, PUB built a pilot plant to turn used water into potable water. This was the precursor of today’s NEWater factories. But it was ahead of its time. The costs were astronomical and the membranes were unreliable, so the idea was shelved to await further technological advancement. By 1998, the necessary technology had matured and driven production costs down. But one critical ingredient was the existence of a comprehensive used water collection system, which enabled Singapore to take advantage of the available water reclamation technologies.

12.             Today, many countries talk about water reuse as a solution for future water sustainability, and in the proposal for Goal 6 of the Sustainable Development Goals, it is stated that by 2030, nations should halve the proportion of untreated used water and increase water recycling and safe reuse globally. But to put in place water reuse, cities need to first properly collect all used water. This is the true challenge for cities, and countries have to rise to the challenge and achieve the SDGs.

13.             As part of today’s programme, some of you will be visiting the 800,000m3/day Changi Water Reclamation plant, the largest in Singapore and one of the largest in the region. The plant is at the terminal end of 48km of underground used water collection tunnels known as the Deep Tunnel Sewerage System. It also has an integrated NEWater plant at its rooftop, whereby the treated effluent from the plant is converted into high-grade reclaimed water. I hope that the visit later would give you an insight into how used water collection and NEWater fits into Singapore’s larger water management strategy.

Successful wastewater management requires us to innovate and collaborate

14.             Moving on to my third point. Successful wastewater management requires us to innovate and collaborate. We are cognizant of the fact that we do not have all the solutions, and it is therefore very important that we reach out to the world and learn from as many different parties as possible. Just last week, PUB signed an MOU with the ASEM Water Resources R&D Centre at the Singapore International Water Week Technology and Innovation Summit. Through the MOU, we hope to tap on the cutting-edge research done among ASEM members and apply new solutions and technologies to our used water challenges.

15.             The water ecosystem in Singapore now comprises about 180 companies and 26 Research Institutes. Many of these companies and institutes are involved in used water projects and used water research, and PUB is currently working closely with our partners in academia and industry to push the envelope.

16.             Last year, PUB and Japanese company, MEIDEN, collaborated on Singapore’s first Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) - Ceramic MBR Plant to treat and recycle industrial used water. This demonstration plant won the Industrial Water Project of the Year at the 2015 Global Water Awards for its innovative technology to treat industrial used water in a more energy-efficient and cost-effective manner. Last week, PUB announced that it would work with a Canadian company, Anaergia, to increase biogas production by co-digestion of food waste and used water sludge. The biogas will then be used to generate electricity, which is in line with our current focus for the used water treatment process to be more energy self-sufficient.

17.             In preparation for our newest Water Reclamation Plant at the western end of Singapore, we have also built an Integrated Validation Plant to test out Biosorption Enhanced Primary Treatment, low-energy Membrane Bioreactors and side-stream deammonification for municipal used water treatment. Researchers from local universities NUS and NTU as well as industrial partners such as G.E. are already on board with us. In future, this pilot plant will be upscaled to a demonstration plant, where we will get to further explore automation and man-less operations. These are just some examples of many other ongoing partnerships with the industry to improve our current used water treatment process.

18.             To encourage multi-party collaborations, the Government provides grants under the “Technology Pioneer” (TechPioneer) Scheme through the Environment and Water Industry (EWI) programme office. This scheme encourages water companies to tap on Singapore as a living laboratory so that cutting edge technology can be test-bedded and commercialised in an actual operating environment. A total of 150 projects involving the test-bedding of water solutions have been facilitated at PUB’s installations, and more than 20 test-bedding projects are currently on-going at PUB’s facilities. I encourage solution providers from ASEM member countries to leverage on such funding to innovate together with PUB in Singapore.

Conclusion

19.             In conclusion, Singapore strongly supports the development of sustainable wastewater management and sanitation. In 2010 and 2014, Singapore hosted the United Nations Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation Meetings in Singapore to lend our support to further the achievement of sanitation globally. We hope that by leveraging on platforms like these, we are able to access new solutions and new thinking in Asia and Europe for used water treatment and reclamation.

20.             I would like to take this opportunity to invite all of you to the Singapore International Water Week that will be held next year, from 10-14 July. It is a global platform for business, technologies and solutions, and will be co-located with the World Cities Summit and Cleanenviro Summit Singapore. It is a unique opportunity for water, cities and environment leaders to get together to discuss pertinent issues related to water resources, and used water will be one of the key issues that will receive much attention from regulators, operators and solution providers. Asia and Europe can work together in concrete ways to raise the standards of used water management and sanitation in our countries and give these global challenges the attention that they deserve.

21.             Thank you and wish you all have a fruitful day of sharing and networking.