 Official Logo | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | Government of Singapore |
| Headquarters | 40 Scotts Road, #22-01 Environment Building, Singapore 228231 |
| Annual budget | $5.91 billion SGD (2011) [1] |
| Agency executives |
|
| Parent agency | Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources |
| Website | www |
The Public Utilities Board (Abbreviation: PUB; Chinese: 公用事业局; Malay: Lembaga Kemudahan Awam) is a statutory board of the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources under the Government of Singapore.
In 1963, PUB was set up to ensure an efficient, adequate and sustainable supply of water for Singapore. The PUB hopes to achieve its mission through its "Price-Minus" strategy where they aim to maintain high services but at the same time, keep the costs low.
In 2003, PUB introduced NEWater, to multiply Singapore's water supply. This further diversified the water supply to four sources: local catchment water, imported water, NEWater, and desalinated water.[2]
PUB has a mascot called Water Wally intended to engage the public, especially children. Water Wally is featured on some of the signs on PUB property in Singapore.
PUB was awarded the Stockholm Industry Water Award in 2007.
History
editThe Early Years
edit
At the beginning, Singapore's sources of water came from inland streams and wells. These small sources were sufficient for the few inhabitants on the island. As Singapore grew as a port city after its founding in 1819, a small reservoir was constructed at Fort Canning in 1822 to supply water to ships which called at the port. As time passed, the island's population grew to more than 50 000 and planning for Singapore's water became an issue. Fortunately, in 1857, philanthropist Tan Kim Seng made a donation for the building of Singapore's first waterworks and piped water supply. This donation allowed the construction of what is known today as MacRitchie Reservoir, named after James MacRitchie who oversaw the expansion. [3]
As Singapore's population further expanded, the water supply had to be enlarged and improved. In 1910, the Singapore Municipality built Kallang River Reservoir, which was later renamed Peirce Reservoir in 1922 after Robert Peirce who was in in charge of its construction. Subsequently, Seletar Reservoir was built in 1920 and later expanded in 1940. [3]
In early 1951, an expert on local government, Dr. L. C. Hill, was invited to provide advice about how hospitals, fire services, transport, electricity, and gas services should be ran. During that time, electricity and gas services were publicly administered by Municipal Departments, but Hill believed that a public corporation or board would have greater freedom of action in the provision of electricity and gas. This was the basis for the establishment of the PUB. [4] The water sources developed during Singapore's early years were the main water supply at the time of PUB's formation in 1963. [3]
Now
editOver the last 40 years, through strategic planning and investment in research and technology, PUB has built a robust and diversified supply of water known as the "Four National Taps" [3] . The water supply comprises of:
- Local catchment water
Half the land in Singapore is covered by a rainwater collection network. Rainwater is collected through a comprehensive network of drains, canals, rivers, storm-water collection ponds, and reservoirs before it is treated for drinking water supply. The marina basin has also been converted into a freshwater reservoir to supply 10% of Singapore's water. [3][5]
- Imported water
Singapore has been importing water from Johor, Malaysia, under the 1961 and 1962 Water Agreements, expiring in 2011 and 2061 respectively. However, dependency on foreign water is being decreased with an increase in production from alternative water sources. [3][5]
- High-purified reclaimed water (NEWater)
NEWater is high-grade reclaimed water produced from treated used water that is further purified using advanced membrane technologies and ultra-violet disinfection, making it safe to drink. It should meet 30% of Singapore's water demand by 2011. [3][5]
- Desalinated water
Singapore's seawater desalination plants produces 30 million gallons of water a day via reverse osmosis, meeting approximately 10% of Singapore's water needs. By 2060, this desalination capacity should increase by almost 10 times to meet at least 30% of Singapore's water demand in the long term. [3]
Vision and Mission
editVision
editWater for All: Conserve, Value, Enjoy [6]
Mission
editTo ensure an efficient, adequate, and sustainable supply of water [6]
Logo
editSymbol
editThe three swirls that form an elliptical shape represents the water cycle, which is an integral part of PUB’s business. The three swirls represent the three major functions of PUB: water services, sewerage and drainage. The three different shades of blue in the swirl represent three different types of water: seawater, reclaimed water (NEWater) and catchment water. [7]
Namestyle
editThe typeface for PUB is specially designed as one unit. It leverages on the fluid and efficient water resource management of which the organisation is well known for. [7]
Tagline
editThe tagline Water for All: Conserve, Value, Enjoy calls upon all Singaporeans to take ownership of our water resources. [7]
Organizational Structure
editManagement in Singapore's water service is overseen by a Board of Directors comprising of a chairman and between 5 to 10 members selected by the Ministry of Environment. The members of the board are selected from a broad spectrum of the stakeholders who are able to contribute to discussions of the workings of the organization. At present, there are 10 board members, with various backgrounds such as academia, unions, parliament, investors, finance and auditing sector, semiconductor and petroleum industries, military, nongovernmental organizations, and the public sector. [8]
The current board members are[9]:
| Name | Position |
|---|---|
| Tan Gee Paw | Chairman, PUB |
| Khoo Teng Chye | Chief Executive, PUB |
| Wong Yew Meng | Retired Audit Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Singapore |
| Ng Lang | Chief Executive Officer, Urban Redevelopment Authority |
| Ismail Bidin | General Manager, Applied Materials S.E.A. Pte Ltd |
| Lim How Teck | Chairman, Redwood International Pte Ltd |
| Koh Kim Wah | Director, SmarttPapers International Pte Ltd |
| Prof Edmund Lee | Professor, National University of Singapore |
| MG (NS) Ng Chee Khern | Director, MINDEF |
| Prof Lui Pao Chuen | Advisor, National Research Foundation |
| Zainal Bin Sapari | Director, National Trades Union Congress |
Under the board of directors are the chief executive officer, five engineering departments and five support departments [8]. The five engineering departments are:
- Water supply
- Sewerage
- Drainage
- Water reclamation
- Deep-tunnel sewerage system
Achievements and Awards
edit| Year | Award | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Superior Achievement Award (AAEE Annual Award Luncheon) | Marina Barrage (Best project entry) |
| 2009 | 'Water Project of the Year' (Global Water Awards) | Deep Tunnel Sewerage System selected as water project with most significant contribution to water technology and environmental protection. |
| 2008 | Grand Prize (Golden World Awards for Excellence, organized by IPRA) | Distinguishes PUB in the international public relations community. |
| 2008 | Outstanding PR Champion of the Year Award | Honors Khoo Teng Chye, Chief Executive of PUB, for his recognition of the value of public relations to the success of PUB and consistently supporting public relations budget and activities. |
| 2008 | Outstanding Overall Corporate Reputation Enhancement (PRISM) Awards | Water Wally as a branding tool to stand out among the logos, and integral part in enabling PUB's corporate communications program. |
| 2007 | Stockholm Industry Water Award | Recognizes innovative corporate development of water and wastewater process technologies, contributions to environmental improvement through improved performance in production processes, new products and other significant contributions by businesses and industries that help improve the world water situation. |
| 2007 | ASEAN Outstanding Engineering Achievement Award (CAFEO) | Marina Barrage |
| 2007 | Institution of Engineers Singapore Prestigious Engineering Achievement Award | Engineering feat in building Marina Barrage. |
| 2007 | Pinnacle Award (ComChest) | Recognition of PUB's long-standing commitment to the SHARE programme. |
| 2007 | Green Office Label (Singapore Environmental Council) | PUB's efforts in adopting simple yet practical eco-office practices to conserve resources at the workplace. |
| 2006 | Innovator Award and The Enterprising Agency Award (Enterprise Challenge of the Prime Minister's Office) | PUB's pilot project using wetland technology. |
| 2006 | IWA Marketing and Communications Award {IWA World Water Congress and Exhibition) | Recognition of PUB's efforts at promoting public awareness about water. |
| 2005 | Singapore Quality Class and Singapore Innovation Class Award | Quality certifications. |
| 2005 | Global Water Awards (UK's Global Water Intelligence) | PUB's Chestnut Avenue Waterworks and Seletar NEWater Factory received Highly Commended Awards. |
References
edit- ^ Head L: Ministry of Environment and Water Resources Retrieved December 5 2011.
- ^ Press Releases: Here comes Water Wally PUB. Retrieved December 7 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h History: Water Supply PUB. Retrieved December 7 2011.
- ^ Formation of the Public Utilities Board National Library, Singapore. Retrieved December 7 2011.
- ^ a b c Four National Taps, Singapore Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE). Retrieved December 7 2011.
- ^ a b PUB Mission & Vision Retrieved December 5 2011.
- ^ a b c PUB Logo PUB. Retrieved December 7 2011.
- ^ a b Characteristics of well-performing public water utilities World Bank Group. Retrieved December 6 2011.
- ^ Organization Chart PUB. Retrieved December 7 2011.
- ^ Awards and Achievements PUB. Retrieved December 7 2011.
External Links
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Category:Statutory boards of the Singapore Government Category:1955 establishments Category:Singapore government policies