Thursday, July 13, 2006
Water water everywhere
“Water, water, everywhere, and not a drop to drink….”
70% of the earth’s surface is covered with water, yet less than 1% is safe for human consumption?
300 million gallons of water is consumed by Singaporeans each day? That’s the equivalent of 600 Olympic-sized swimming pools!
So where do we get our water resources? Traditionally we have two sources - from the sky into our rainfall catchment areas; and from our Johore neighbours. Now there is a third source – you’ve guessed it – Newater. That is the subject of my talk today.
Newater Treatment Process
Guess we are familiar with the origins of Newater, together with its many unsavoury jokes. Well it is derived from used water from the general household. That includes the water after we brush our teeth and the water that you flush down the toilet.
So the natural squirmish concern would be: how clean and safe is Newater? Well I had the benefit of visiting the Newater Visitor Centre just two Sundays ago. I will share what I have learnt.
NEWater is the product from a comprehensive multi-barrier water reclamation process. After the initial conventional treatment, the water is further treated in 3 stages:
First, Microfiltration In this process, water is passed through hollow fibres that work as microscopic filters. Large pollutants like suspended solids, disease-causing bacteria and some viruses are sifted out whilst filtering through purified water.
Reverse Osmosis Then at the next stage known as Reverse Osmosis, pressure is applied to squeeze the water across a semi-permeable membrane. This membrane has pore size so small that all bacteria, viruses and chemicals cannot pass through but large enough to let through the smaller water molecules
This stage is the Core Technology of the Newater process – which is why NEWater is called Reverse Osmosis water, as labelled on the bottle. The water is now free from viruses and bacteria and contains very low levels of salts and organic matters.
UV disinfection.
After Reverse Osmosis, the water is already of a high grade quality. But being the kiasu Singaporeans that we are, we further subject the treated water to the third stage of UV disinfection where UV light is used to kill any remaining organisms as a safety backup.
As a result of these meticulous processes, the quality of Newater is cleaner than PUB tap water in terms of clarity, colour, organic substances and bacteria count. NEWater has been analysed using over 20000 samples and certified safe for human consumption based on WHO and USEPA Drinking Water Guidelines.
Newater Uses
So what are the uses of Newater? The primary use is for direct non-portable use in industries that require squeaky clean water for processes, such as in wafer fabrication plants. It is also used in commercial buildings for aircon cooling and in fountains and other ornamental water features.
In addition, since Feb 2003, 3 million gallons of Newater or less than 1% of our daily water intake is added to our reservoirs. The mixed water is then further treated at the waterworks to produce our tap water. This practice is known as indirect potable use or IPU. The concept of IPU is not new and is in fact practised in USA for more than 25 years. The amount of Newater added to our reservoirs will gradually rise from the current 1% to 2.5% of our daily consumption in ten years’ time.
Newater Visitor Centre
If you wish to learn more, there is loads of fascinating information at the pubgov.sg/newater website. Better still, follow my footsteps and turn student or tourist to visit the Newater Visitor Centre. You may be surprised at the centre’s popularity. When I was there, there was a group of Taiwanese tourists and a Japanese man as well.
The visitor centre is conveniently located at at Simei next to the Singapore Expo. You can book a free hour-long guided tour via the Internet. More details can be found in these brochures. Feel free to take one.
I was impressed by the high-tech visitor centre, with hands-on multimedia stations and a 80-seater movie theatrette which you can sit back and relax at the engrossing video clips. The whole tour is well coordinated using a virtual tour guide as well as a real-life guide – who could switch effortlessly from English to Chinese. Maybe she’s a Toastmaster! Of course you also get free flow of ice-cold sparkling Newater!
Conclusion
I hope I have given you an insight on how Newater is produced and why it is called Reverse Osmosis water, as well as introduce a highly recommended, free-of-charge place to visit in your spare time.
Next time you turn on the tap, give a thought over our water conservation efforts and the state-of-the-art Newater technology. Remember : water is precious. Use it wisely. It’s your responsibility. Every little drop counts.
11 July 2006
70% of the earth’s surface is covered with water, yet less than 1% is safe for human consumption?
300 million gallons of water is consumed by Singaporeans each day? That’s the equivalent of 600 Olympic-sized swimming pools!
So where do we get our water resources? Traditionally we have two sources - from the sky into our rainfall catchment areas; and from our Johore neighbours. Now there is a third source – you’ve guessed it – Newater. That is the subject of my talk today.
Newater Treatment Process
Guess we are familiar with the origins of Newater, together with its many unsavoury jokes. Well it is derived from used water from the general household. That includes the water after we brush our teeth and the water that you flush down the toilet.
So the natural squirmish concern would be: how clean and safe is Newater? Well I had the benefit of visiting the Newater Visitor Centre just two Sundays ago. I will share what I have learnt.
NEWater is the product from a comprehensive multi-barrier water reclamation process. After the initial conventional treatment, the water is further treated in 3 stages:
First, Microfiltration In this process, water is passed through hollow fibres that work as microscopic filters. Large pollutants like suspended solids, disease-causing bacteria and some viruses are sifted out whilst filtering through purified water.
Reverse Osmosis Then at the next stage known as Reverse Osmosis, pressure is applied to squeeze the water across a semi-permeable membrane. This membrane has pore size so small that all bacteria, viruses and chemicals cannot pass through but large enough to let through the smaller water molecules
This stage is the Core Technology of the Newater process – which is why NEWater is called Reverse Osmosis water, as labelled on the bottle. The water is now free from viruses and bacteria and contains very low levels of salts and organic matters.
UV disinfection.
After Reverse Osmosis, the water is already of a high grade quality. But being the kiasu Singaporeans that we are, we further subject the treated water to the third stage of UV disinfection where UV light is used to kill any remaining organisms as a safety backup.
As a result of these meticulous processes, the quality of Newater is cleaner than PUB tap water in terms of clarity, colour, organic substances and bacteria count. NEWater has been analysed using over 20000 samples and certified safe for human consumption based on WHO and USEPA Drinking Water Guidelines.
Newater Uses
So what are the uses of Newater? The primary use is for direct non-portable use in industries that require squeaky clean water for processes, such as in wafer fabrication plants. It is also used in commercial buildings for aircon cooling and in fountains and other ornamental water features.
In addition, since Feb 2003, 3 million gallons of Newater or less than 1% of our daily water intake is added to our reservoirs. The mixed water is then further treated at the waterworks to produce our tap water. This practice is known as indirect potable use or IPU. The concept of IPU is not new and is in fact practised in USA for more than 25 years. The amount of Newater added to our reservoirs will gradually rise from the current 1% to 2.5% of our daily consumption in ten years’ time.
Newater Visitor Centre
If you wish to learn more, there is loads of fascinating information at the pubgov.sg/newater website. Better still, follow my footsteps and turn student or tourist to visit the Newater Visitor Centre. You may be surprised at the centre’s popularity. When I was there, there was a group of Taiwanese tourists and a Japanese man as well.
The visitor centre is conveniently located at at Simei next to the Singapore Expo. You can book a free hour-long guided tour via the Internet. More details can be found in these brochures. Feel free to take one.
I was impressed by the high-tech visitor centre, with hands-on multimedia stations and a 80-seater movie theatrette which you can sit back and relax at the engrossing video clips. The whole tour is well coordinated using a virtual tour guide as well as a real-life guide – who could switch effortlessly from English to Chinese. Maybe she’s a Toastmaster! Of course you also get free flow of ice-cold sparkling Newater!
Conclusion
I hope I have given you an insight on how Newater is produced and why it is called Reverse Osmosis water, as well as introduce a highly recommended, free-of-charge place to visit in your spare time.
Next time you turn on the tap, give a thought over our water conservation efforts and the state-of-the-art Newater technology. Remember : water is precious. Use it wisely. It’s your responsibility. Every little drop counts.
11 July 2006
