PUB calls tender for expansion of Changi Water Reclamation Plant
PUB, Singapore's national water agency, will be calling a tender for the expansion of Changi Water Reclamation Plant (WRP). To be completed by end 2019, this expansion will help meet future demand for used water treatment by adding another 44 million gallons a day (MGD) to the treatment capacity of the plant.
The tender includes civil and infrastructural expansion works as well as the installation of advanced membrane bioreactor (MBR) equipment. The MBR treatment module will be increased in two phases of 22 MGD each, in tandem with used water flow projections.
'With this expansion, Changi WRP will be one of the world's largest membrane bioreactor facilities'
Commissioned in 2008 with an initial treatment capacity of 176 MGD, Changi WRP is one of the largest and most advanced water reclamation facilities in the world.
Lying at the heart of the Deep Tunnel Sewerage System (DTSS) Phase 1, it treats about half of the country's used water and produces treated effluent which is used as feedstock for NEWater production. NEWater, an ultra-clean, high-grade reclaimed water, currently meets 30% of Singapore's water demand, and this is set to increase up to 55% in the longer term.
Unlike other WRPs, Changi WRP also has fully-covered treatment modules with an integrated NEWater factory on the rooftop, and a highly compact design which allows it to occupy only one-third of the land area of conventional WRPs. The expanded Changi WRP will continue to be compact and utilize advanced technologies, particularly MBR technology which uses naturally-occurring bacteria as well as microfiltration/ultrafiltration systems to break down and treat used water. MBR is a more efficient method as it optimises the used water treatment process, enabling used water to be treated using fewer steps and less space compared to conventional systems, and produces a higher quality treated effluent.
'With this expansion, Changi WRP will be one of the world's largest membrane bioreactor facilities. More importantly, it will produce more treated used water effluent for NEWater production and increase our water recycling rate, which will allow us to ensure a robust and sustainable supply of water for Singapore's future', said Mr Yahya Abdul Ghani, PUB's Director of Water Reclamation (Plants).
PUB is a statutory board under the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources. It is the water agency that manages Singapore's water supply, water catchment and used water in an integrated way.