NEWater facts for kids

Bottles of NEWater given out during Singapore's National Day Parade in 2005.

A bottle of NEWater from the 2014 National Day Parade.

NEWater (say "New-Water") is a special kind of super-clean recycled water made in Singapore. It's produced by Singapore's water agency, the Public Utilities Board (PUB). Imagine taking used water and cleaning it so well that it becomes safe to drink! NEWater goes through several cleaning steps like microfiltration, reverse osmosis, and UV light treatment. While it's clean enough to drink, most NEWater is currently used by factories that need very pure water for their products.

Why Singapore Needs NEWater

Singapore started thinking about recycling water in the 1970s. This was because Singapore doesn't have a lot of natural fresh water. In 1972, a plan suggested recycling water and removing salt from seawater to get more water. This would help Singapore rely less on water bought from Malaysia.

For a long time, Singapore has bought water from Malaysia. This agreement is set to last until 2061. After that, Malaysia doesn't have to sell water to Singapore anymore. So, Singapore needed to find its own ways to get enough water for the future.

In 1998, the PUB and the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources began a big study called the Singapore Water Reclamation Study (NEWater Study). They wanted to see if NEWater could be a good source of water for the country.

Introducing NEWater to the Public

In 2001, the PUB started looking for ways to use NEWater that didn't involve drinking it. Because NEWater is so clean, it was perfect for industries that needed very pure water. This meant that this new water supply could be used without increasing the demand for drinking water.

The PUB officially introduced NEWater to the public in 2003. They opened the first two NEWater plants in Bedok and Kranji. They also opened the NEWater Visitor Centre.

The government was careful about how they talked about NEWater. They avoided words like 'wastewater' or 'sewage' because these words can sound negative. Instead, they called sewage treatment plants 'water reclamation plants' and used water was called 'used water'. This helped people feel more positive about recycled water.

The government also worked hard to teach people about NEWater. They used exhibitions and advertisements. The NEWater Visitor Centre lets people see how NEWater is made. These efforts helped people understand recycled water better and accept it.

How NEWater is Made

The control room at a NEWater plant, where everything is monitored.

The Bedok NEWater Factory.

The first NEWater plant was finished in 2000. Today, Singapore has four NEWater factories that are working: Bedok, Kranji, Ulu Pandan, and Changi. The Bedok and Kranji factories started in 2002. The Ulu Pandan plant opened in 2007, and the Changi plant in 2009.

Some of these plants are run by the Public Utilities Board (PUB). Others are run by private companies like Keppel Seghers and Sembcorp Industries.

There's a special Visitor Centre at the NEWater factory in Bedok. It's a great place to learn about how NEWater is made. The centre offers free programs to teach people about the technology and production of NEWater:

• NEWater Scientist Program: Students pretend to be NEWater Scientists and explore the centre.
• Outdoor Classroom: Fun activities and experiments help students learn about reverse osmosis and other NEWater processes.
• Water Ambassadors: Workshops teach groups like the National Cadet Corps how to be water ambassadors.

The Cleaning Steps

NEWater starts as water from secondary sewage treatment plants. This water then goes through three main cleaning steps:

Step 1: Microfiltration/Ultrafiltration

The first step uses tiny filters called microfiltration or ultrafiltration membranes. These membranes remove tiny bits of dirt, cloudy particles, and most germs like bacteria and some viruses. After this step, the water only has dissolved salts and other tiny molecules left.

Step 2: Reverse Osmosis

The second step is called reverse osmosis (RO). This is a very powerful filtering process. A special membrane filters out even smaller things. This includes salts, heavy metals, nitrates, and even more viruses and bacteria. After reverse osmosis, the water is already clean enough to drink!

Step 3: UV Disinfection

The third step is a safety measure. The water is passed under strong ultraviolet (UV) light. This light makes sure that any remaining tiny organisms are completely destroyed. After this, some chemicals are added to balance the water's pH level. Then, NEWater is ready to be used!

• How NEWater is produced
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  Microfiltration system

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  Inside a microfiltration module

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  Ultrafiltration system

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  Ultrafiltration membrane module

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  Reverse osmosis system

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  Inside a reverse osmosis module

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  Inside a UV disinfection unit

Where NEWater is Used

NEWater plants can produce about 20 million US gallons (about 75 million liters) of water every day. About 6% of this water is mixed into drinking water supplies. This makes up about 1% of Singapore's total drinking water needs.

Most NEWater is used by factories that need very pure water. For example, it's used in plants that make computer chips in areas like Woodlands, Tampines, Pasir Ris, and Ang Mo Kio.

Singapore plans for NEWater to meet up to 40% of its current water needs. By 2060, this figure is expected to go up to 55%.

Is NEWater Safe to Drink?

Yes! The quality of NEWater is actually better than the standards set by the US EPA and the WHO. It's even cleaner than Singapore's other water sources.

Here's a simple comparison of NEWater's quality to international standards:

See also

• Water supply and sanitation in Singapore