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.