Singapore shares experience in water resource development

The visit by Stanley Loh came seven months after President Ma Ying-jeou proposed that Kinmen learn from Singapore's water reclamation model to solve the island's perennial water shortages.

During the trip, Loh inspected Kinmen's sea water desalination plant and water purification and sewage treatment facilities and held discussions with Kinmen County government officials.

He also presented Kinmen County Magistrate Lee Wo-shi with bottled reclaimed drinking water from Singapore.

Loh noted that Singapore has been facing a lack of water resources since it achieved independence from Malaysia in 1965.

The country now relies on rainwater collection, water imports from Malaysia, sea water desalination and water reclamation as its major sources of the precious resource, he said.

Singapore built is first water reclamation plant in 2002 and will be completing the fifth such facility later this year, when recycled water will meet 30 percent of the country's total demand, he said.

According to Loh, the reclamation process involves purifying used water with advanced membrane technology, and the quality of the reclaimed water exceeds the criteria set by the World Health Organization for drinking water.

Minerals are added into the pure water for drinking purposes. Loh said everyone who has visited Singapore has also drunk the reclaimed water, called NEWater, including leaders who took part in the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum held late last year in the city state.

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