• Singaporean Minister presides at ceremony for ABC Waters program project
SINGAPORE, July 15, 2009 -- A groundbreaking ceremony was recently held for the Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters (ABC Waters) project on the shores of Singapore's Jurong Lake.
Singaporean Minister for Finance and Adviser for Jurong Grassroots Organizations, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, presided at the ground breaking for the project being undertaken by Black & Veatch for the Singapore national water agency PUB. The project is part of PUB's ABC Waters program to transform water bodies in Singapore into beautiful and clean streams, rivers and lakes, creating community spaces for people to enjoy recreational activities.
Black & Veatch was appointed as the Watershed Manager of the Western Catchment of the ABC Waters Program in 2006 and was responsible for the development of a master plan and then the implementation of selected projects. The project at Jurong Lake is the first major milestone to be achieved for the Western Catchment.
Dredging works at the lake were completed earlier this year, which has resulted in clearer waters for people to enjoy water-based activities. Upon completion, the project will allow people to enjoy the scenery, learn about wetland plants and gather for various community activities.
The ABC Waters Program in Singapore was launched by PUB in 2006 and seeks to develop water bodies beyond their current functional use into vibrant, clean and aesthetic lifestyle attractions. The program includes developing and managing the catchments and water bodies as new community spaces, bringing communities closer to water and instilling stewardship.
Technical Notes:
• Since its launch the ABC Waters Program has completed three demonstration projects
• During the next three years 20 ABC projects will be completed in Singapore
• The Western Catchment of Singapore includes seven major waterbodies or reservoirs, a number of major rivers and many more smaller rivers and major drains
• The ABC Waters project at Jurong Lake will develop two new promenades a "North" and "South" Promenade
• The North Promenade will include:
o New pathways linking the existing park connector to the edge of the lake providing quiet spots amongst the shady trees
o A designated area for sports fishing
• The South Promenade will include:
o A timber boardwalk to serve as a viewing platform
o A designated area for sports fishing
o Wetlands planted along the water's edge that will increase wildlife population in the area
o A geyser to aerate the water and improve the view
o Greater connectivity from the existing Jurong Lake Park, bringing park users closer to the water's edge
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 sewerage in an integrated way. PUB won the 2007 Stockholm Industry Water Award and was named Water Agency of the Year at the Global Water Awards 2006.
Black & Veatch is a leading global engineering, consulting and construction company specializing in infrastructure development in energy, water, telecommunications, management consulting, federal and environmental markets.
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