India can learn a thing or two on water recycling from Singapore and better combat its own worsening water crisis. That's because Singapore, when faced with diminishing freshwater sources, successfully revived its water bodies with the help of technology.

Tan Thai Pin, director of Singapore's Water Supply (Plants) Department, tells Trithesh Nandan in an exclusive interview that the country’s national water agency, the Public Utilities Board (PUB), has tapped an unlikely source – used, dirty, down-the-toilet-bowl, sewage water with the help of modern technology.

Singapore has not only overcome its water handicap but also ensured water security for the next 50 years. How did this happen?
Singapore is a country with no natural water resources. Yet, in just four decades, we have overcome water shortages. Singapore got over its water crisis; so can India. This has happened in Singapore because we have implemented a long-term plan for water security. As we don’t have natural resources, we turned to rain water and even reclaiming water. We have targeted water supply both for drinking purpose and supply to the industries. To meet this demand, we have created a system where we get sustainable water supply from four different sources – the four national taps, as we call them – including water from local catchment areas, imported water, reclaimed water known as NEWater and desalinated water. We have integrated each of the four taps to ensure a stable, sustainable water supply capable of catering to the country’s continued growth. Besides that, despite its limited land area of 710 sq km, Singapore planned to collect every drop of rain and utilise it for water supply. It is one of the few countries in the world to harvest urban storm-water on a large-scale for its water supply.

How did technology come into play in all this?
We are investing a lot on technology. The latest we are using is the reverse osmosis membrane technology to produce high quality water – what we call the NEWater. To make ultra safe to drink, NEWater is purified by using advanced membrane technologies and ultra-violet disinfection. We also purify sea water through reverse osmosis plants, which helps us meet about 10 percent of the water demand.

India is facing a worsening water crisis. What would you suggest from your experience for India?
India is a much, much larger country than Singapore. So the context is very different. I think in recent years, India has done a lot to address water shortages, to increase the supply of water and to reduce water consumption. Water reclamation is definitely one way to go because you are talking about recycling in the same location. That means you save the cost of transporting water from one point to the other. India can go for  recycling and save a lot of water and cost too.

Has India ever approached Singapore for assistance in this regard?
Indian officials do come to Singapore and we also come to India. So we both share our experience and knowledge in water management.

There is a growing mismatch between supply and demand of water in India. In your opinion, what is the key to water management in India?
I think the key aspect is managing the demand. Conservation is a must. I have noted that non-availability of water is as high as 40 to 50 percent. So that has to be addressed. In Singapore, we also felt the same problem, so we spend a lot of time on public education to get the community to conserve water. As a result, we are turning Singapore into a city of gardens.

But is that enough?
It is a matter of complimenting one source with the others. It also depends on the quality of water you need. If it is not for drinking purpose, then you don’t need high grade water. But to meet drinking water standard, cost would be different. In Singapore, there is a portfolio of water supply system. Different sources compliment each other.