S'pore to ease need for KL water

S'pore to ease need for KL water

SINGAPORE (AFP): Singapore announced yesterday it would raise
water tariffs and build a desalination plant to make seawater
potable in a bid to reduce its dependence on water piped in from
neighboring Malaysia.

The announcement followed calls by some political groups in
Malaysia during a recent bilateral row to scrap water supply
agreements with Singapore which expire in 2011 and 2061.

"Our water consumption has been growing steadily. At present
rates of growth, by 2011 when the first water agreement expires,
if it is not renewed, we will already be short of water," a
Singapore government statement said.

Public Utilities Board consultants are likely to recommend a
dual-purpose desalination and power plant, to be completed by
2003, costing S$1 billion (US$700 million), the statement said.