Practitioner’s perspective on One Water approach

Singapore is an island-nation with a population of about 5.7 million people and a land area of about 720 square kilometers (km2) or 280 square miles (mi2). The water demand in Singapore is almost 2 million cubic meters per day (m3/day) or 500 million US gallons per day, with approximately 45 percent of the demand coming from the domestic sector (such as potable...

One key facet of Singapore’s planning model is the collaboration amongst various agencies responsible for different aspects of development. Economic agencies such as the Economic Development Board (responsible for overall economic planning), the Jurong Town Corporation (responsible for industrial development), agencies responsible for major infrastructure such as the Land Transport...

There is no wastewater in Singapore. Instead, used water is sent down the sewer pipes to be treated and reused. Similarly, instead of traditional treatment of water, it is sent to water reclamation facilities and is reclaimed for beneficial reuse. The distinction in language is important because it again represents a mindset shift that water once used can and should be reused over and over again....

California is a big US state, home to almost 40 million people, with diverse ecosystems. Many cities and towns get their water from the Sierra Nevada mountain range snowmelt or sources hundreds of kilometers away. Approximately 70 percent of California’s water supply comes from Northern California and 70 percent demand exists in Southern California, which led to the creation of large-scale...

In general, the drivers for reuse in Singapore and California are similar.

California and Singapore both have access to imported water resources that are clean and have historically been available when needed. However, importing water has inherent vulnerabilities that make it risky to rely on as the only significant supply. Diversifying their water portfolios based on the One Water approach and including recycled water as part of the portfolio offers an opportunity to...

Melanie Tan is the Northern California reuse practice leader at Kennedy Jenks and is based in San Francisco, California. Originally from Singapore, Tan previously held various roles at the Singapore national water agency, PUB, including plant manager at Singapore’s Bedok NEWater Factory. She is the primary author of Singapore’s first Integrated Water Management Plan.