Singapore's Deep Tunnel Sewerage System (DTSS) is fast gaining recognition on the global water stage with its second international award in less than a year.
Crowned 'Water Project of the Year' at the Global Water Awards 2009 in Zurich, Switzerland, the DTSS was selected as the water project with the most significant contribution to water technology and environmental protection. The annual Global Water Awards, organized by the Global Water Intelligence, is widely recognized as one of the most prestigious symbol of achievement in the global water industry.
The $3.65 billion DTSS is Singapore's superhighway to meet its used water needs for the next 100 years. Conceptualized and managed by Singapore's national water agency, PUB, it was conceived as a cost-effective and sustainable solution to meet Singapore's long-term used water needs. The mammoth DTSS conveys used water from homes and industries through a 48-km long deep tunnel sewer that runs 20 to 55 meters below ground to a centralized water reclamation plant for treatment.
The heart of the DTSS, the Changi Water Reclamation Plant is a state-of-the-art water plant capable of treating 176 million gallons of used water a day to international standards. The treated water is then discharged into the sea through deep sea outfalls or channeled to the Changi NEWater factory on the rooftop of the reclamation plant where it is further purified through advanced membrane technologies into NEWater, Singapore's own brand of reclaimed water.
The benefits of the DTSS are manifold. With the DTSS, land used to site the existing water reclamation plants and its buffer zones, as well as pumping stations will be freed up for other developments. The deep tunnel works entirely by gravity, eliminating the need for pumping stations, and thus the risks of used water overflows. At one-third the size of conventional plants, the Changi Water Reclamation Plant is designed to be compact. Centralization of used water treatment at Changi also allows for economies of scale.
In clinching the 'Water Project of the Year' award, the DTSS beat competition from Jordan's As Samra WasteWater Treatment Plant, Geneva Water Treatment Facility in Illinois as well as the Twin Oaks Valley Water Treatment Plant in San Diego. This is the second international award for DTSS. Last year, it emerged as the global winner in the Planning Projects category of the International Water Association (IWA) Project Innovation Awards last year.