Dry spell dogs water stocks

Dry spell dogs water stocks

SINGAPORE (Reuters): Singapore's water stocks have fallen due to unusually hot and dry weather and are expected to drop further in the coming dry season, the government said yesterday.

The water stock level fell to 73 percent at the end of March from about 85 percent at the end of February, the Public Utilities Board (PUB) said in a statement.

Singapore treats water as a particularly precious commodity as it is dependent on imported supplies.

It buys a large portion of its water from Malaysia's southern state of Johor through two agreements, one ending in 2011 and the other in 2061.

PUB appealed yesterday for efforts to conserve water, saying consumption had risen in recent months.