Tunneling for sewage superhighway in Singapore completed
As an island state, Singapore obtains a significant portion of its water supply from state-of-the-art rainwater and used water treatment. In the 1990s, Singapore’s National Water Agency, PUB launched a massive project to strengthen the nation’s water security: when completed, the Deep Tunnel Sewerage System, (DTSS), will include a total of approximately 200 km (124 miles) of newly built sewers running up to 60 m (196 ft) deep underground. It is designed to meet Singapore’s long-term needs for used water collection, treatment and reclamation. This underground system collects used water from homes and industries and conveys it entirely via gravity to state-of-the-art water reclamation plants without the need for additional pumping stations. The newest of these is currently being built in the Tuas industrial area and will have a capacity to treat of up to 800,000 cubic meters of sewage per day. Phasing out the intermediate pumping stations and other aged used water infrastructure will also free up around 150 hectares of land in the densely populated metropolis (around 8,750 inhabitants / square meter), for higher-value use.
Marking the completion of tunneling works, Goh Si Hou, Chief Executive of PUB, said in a statement: “As one of the most water-stressed countries in the world, the ability to effectively collect and recycle our used water in a closed water loop has been a game-changer in our quest for water security. The Deep Tunnel Sewerage System is not only an engineering feat, but a key pillar in strengthening Singapore’s water resilience to meet the long-term challenges of climate change and growing water needs.”?
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