Why does Singapore need to desalinate water?

Answer 1

Water may seem plentiful and the supply endless whenever you turn on the tap but this is not so. There is a need to save every precious drop of water now, because:

Water is a scarce and precious resource in Singapore.

Singapore's water resources are very limited. Already 50 percent of our land is used for water catchment.

In 1950, when Singapore's population was 1 million, our daily consumption averaged 142,000 cubic metres. In 2005, with a population of about 4.4 million, our consumption rose to 1,296,000 cubic metres. This means that while the population grew by 4.4 times, water consumption increased 9.1 times!

Though we have our 4 National Taps, namely water from local catchment, imported water from Johor, NEWater and desalinated water, we need to curb demand by encouraging everyone to conserve water and take ownership of water. Only then will our water supply be sustainable for generations to come.

Conserving and valuing our scarce water resources become everyone's responsibility, young or old. So the next time you take a shower, water your plants, wash your dishes or flush the toilet, think of ways to reduce as much wastage as you can.

Answer 2

Because they are a very small area with an enormous amount of people and industrial activity.