S'pore to boost water production

S'pore to boost water production

SINGAPORE (Reuters): Singapore may have desalination plants in operation by 2011 which produce enough water to replace the supply from Malaysia agreed under one of two agreements, the Straits Times said yesterday.

The daily newspaper quoted National Development Minister Lim Hng Kiang as saying Sunday the government was working on plans under which it could build two desalination plants between 2003 and 2011, in addition to a Singapore $1 billion (US$629 million) pilot plant already in the works.

The three combined could produce 400 million liters of water a day, enough to replace that supplied under an agreement with Malaysia due to expire in 2011. Singapore has a second pact with Malaysia which is not due to expire until 2061.

Singapore consumes about 1.2 million cubic metres of water daily, of which only half comes from its own reservoirs and collection ponds. The rest comes from Malaysia.