NEW ALTERNATIVES FOR WATER ACCESS
Gan Kok Boon (Singapore)Land, fuel and raw materials are greatly valued in Singapore, a country without any
natural resource. Because of the high population density compounded by small water
catchment areas, Singapore cannot produce enough fresh water to satisfy bothresidential and commercial needs. In the future, this problem will worsen given theprojected increase in water demand.
Concerning water conservation, households in Singapore are taxed incrementally for
their water usage. The more they use, the more they will be taxed at a higherpercentage of their water core. Commercial companies especially manufacturing plants
are supplied with non-portable water when possible. The launch of "water-efficient
homes" in 2003 including the use of non-dripping taps and the installation of watersaving devices is also a big step towards cutting down on common water wastage inhouseholds. Public awareness about the importance of water is raised through water
conservation campaigns.
In recent years, there have been arguments between Singapore and Malaysia over thepricing of water. Moreover, Malaysia will have to meet its own domestic demands before
exporting water to Singapore. There may be a possibility that Malaysia may not extend
the contract to supply water to Singapore. As such, an alternative water source has
been found. NEWater is a common term heard in Singapore. It is the name given toportable water recycled from sewages through stringent process of micro-filtration andreverse osmosis. Initially, the public is skeptical of it because it is recycled from sewage.
However, NEWater has now begun to enjoy public acceptance.
Concerning water, how are women related to this topic? Recently, women in
Singapore literally have had less contact with water. With the rise of women in theworking society, males and females both share common household chores like laundryand cooking.
Olivia Lum is the founder and CEO of Hyflux Ltd, a publicly listed company inSingapore. Hyflux is currently the regional leader in water treatment systems with amarket capitalization of S$450 million. Her company uses cutting-edge technology toproduce equipment for high-end water treatment. A specific product worthy of mention

is the DragonflyTM, which produces pure drinking water through the absorption ofmoisture from the atmosphere. While cost will be high and perhaps prohibitive for many,
the water solutions that Hyflux currently produces will bode well in the future when an
economy of scale is developed.
Olivia Lum epitomizes the direction in which women will go. Traditionally, politics in
Singapore are male dominated and as such, national policies and decision-making
regarding water issues are made by males. As we step into the New Economy, we now
have more women in the professional sector than ever before. From being mere users ofwater, women have embarked on new routes to tackle water issues through commercial
means as innovators, engineers and product developers. Women may or may not play agreater role than men concerning water issues. It is certain, however, that they will
increasingly play a larger role.
With the steps taken by the government and the increasing contributions fromwomen, there is a conviction that water issues will not be a hindrance for Singapore
economic growth.
The imbalance between supply and demand is currently solved by importing waterfrom Malaysia. However, not only is having sufficient fresh water important, it isequally important to have a secure long-term supply freshwater. The government
recognizes this and has taken a two-pronged strategy to ensure the conservation ofwater conserved and a sufficient long-term water supply.