Singapore's national water agency PUB has selected CH2M Hill Singapore as the consultant for the Tuas water reclamation plant (WRP), an important component in the Deep Tunnel Sewerage System (DTSS) Phase 2.
CH2M Hill Singapore was appointed following a pre-qualification and tender exercise in 2016. Over the next two years, the firm will develop the detailed design of Tuas WRP and subsequently supervise the construction and commissioning of the plant.
The construction of Tuas WRP is expected to commence in the second half of 2018 and will feature multiple construction tenders for civil, mechanical and electrical engineering works as well as equipment providers for various plant components.
Unlike conventional WRPs, the advanced Tuas WRP will be receiving used water flows from the western part of Singapore via two separate deep tunnels – a tunnel to convey domestic used water and another to convey high-strength industrial used water.
It will also use membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology1 to treat both used water sources and to higher standards. Domestic used water will be treated at a 650,000m3/day (or 143 million imperial gallons per day) module and then further purified to NEWater, while industrial used water will be treated at a separate 150,000m3/day (or 33 million imperial gallons per day) module and sent back to industries for reuse.
With an initial total treatment capacity of 800,000m3/day (176 million imperial gallons per day or 320 Olympic-size pools), Tuas WRP will be the largest MBR facility in the world, but with a 30% more compact footprint compared to conventional plants.
Tuas WRP will also feature an integrated NEWater factory, with an initial capacity of 25 million imperial gallons per day. Furthermore, Tuas WRP will be co-located with an incineration facility to harness the potential synergies of the water-energy-waste nexus, making it more efficient and greener.
PUB DTSS Phase 2, director Yong Wei Hin said: “DTSS Phase 2 continues to leverage advanced technologies and detailed planning to enhance Singapore’s used water management system and ensure water resilience and sustainability for generations to come.
"With a separate network for the collection and treatment of industrial used water, the Tuas WRP enables PUB to not only meet the growing water needs of the industrial sector, but also ensures the continued reliability of NEWater."