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.