Siemens 2005 Annual Report Download - page 63

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A sustainable source of water for the future
Singapore faces a formidable challenge – the city-state
requires large quantities of clean water but has few
natural water resources. In view of this situation, the
government has set an ambitious goal: to achieve
self-sufficiency in potable water. One target is to meet
20 percent of Singapore’s daily drinking water require-
ments with reclaimed wastewater. Together with our
subsidiary USFilter, we are playing a major role in
helping bring this project to fruition.
Overcoming water shortages
A joint study commissioned by Singapore’s Public Util-
ities Board (PUB) and its Ministry of Environment and
Water Resources (ENV) in 1998 determined that supply
bottlenecks could be overcome by reclaiming waste-
water. Following the study’s recommendations, Singa-
pore built a pilot reclamation plant with a treatment
capacity of more than 10,000 cubic meters of water per
day. Innovative filtration and UV technologies from
USFilter were used to treat wastewater at the plant,
which went into operation in May 2000. After the
plant’s performance had been evaluated, the quality
of the water it produced was assessed over a two-year
period using, for example, physical and chemical
analyses. The experts concluded that the water
reclaimed at the pilot plant was safe for drinking and
that it fulfilled all the requirements for drinking water
established by the World Health Organization (WHO)
and the United States Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA). The plant’s combination of microfiltra-
tion, reverse osmosis, and UV technologies acts as a
multiple-stage barrier to chemical contaminants and
pathogens.
The Kranji NEWater Reclamation Plant –
A trendsetting solution in water recycling
The pilot plant’s impressive performance convinced
Singapore’s government to place an order with
USFilter for the construction of a full-scale water recla-
mation facility. Operated by Singapore’s Public Utilities
Board, the Kranji NEWater Reclamation Plant can pro-
duce 40,000 cubic meters of clean water every day.
Featuring filtration and UV technologies from USFilter,
the Kranji plant is a leading-edge solution in water
recycling – a concept that is gaining in significance as
costs for treating water from conventional supplies
rise and natural water resources become scarcer and
scarcer. The water reclaimed at the Kranji NEWater
plant is used primarily for non-potable industrial
applications. Now that industry can use this recycled
water, industrial demand for drinking water will
decline, helping conserve the city-state’s resources.
By the year 2012, the Kranji plant will supply about 210
million liters of reclaimed water directly to industry
each day. Singapore will soon have a sustainable
source of water right in its own back yard.
Group Presidents Megatrends
Water
Report of the Supervisory Board Corporate Governance ReportGroup Presidents Business Areas