Efficient water management, future technologies and talent development emerged at the 7th Singapore International Water Week (SIWW). Held July 10 to 14, 2016, the global water conference garnered a record-breaking $15.2 billion in total value for the announcements on projects awarded, tenders, investments and MOUs. SIWW was held in conjunction with the World Cities Summit (WCS) and CleanEnviro Summit Singapore (CESS). The three co-located conferences attracted more than 21,000 participants from 115 countries and regions.
Some of the announcements made at this year’s SIWW include:
- A call for upcoming tenders for the design and construction of Singapore’s Deep Tunnel Sewerage System (DTSS) Phase 2 and the Integrated Waste Management Facility—an estimated $6.5 billion phase;
- A $200 million funding boost under the Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2020 plan to further research and development in the Singapore water industry over the next five years;
- The construction of a fifth desalination plant on Singapore’s Jurong Island that will add 30 million gpd of water to the nation’s water supply;
- The launch of the Singapore Water Academy, an institute for learning that builds and enhances the capabilities of water professionals in Singapore and around the world;
- The opening of Memstar’s Membrane Manufacturing Plant and research and development centre, a new membrane manufacturing facility in Singapore;
- An investment of $3.5 billion by Korea's Ministry of Environment over the next 12 years to refurbish and build new water infrastructure;
- A research collaboration between ZWEEC and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the development and implementation of an online toxicity water monitoring program; and
- A five-year agreement between PUB, Singapore’s national water agency, and GE Water to explore new research opportunities as well as develop novel water treatment technologies and research and development projects locally.
The Water Leaders Summit hosted more than 500 water leaders from the government, utilities, international organizations, academia and private companies. As an integrated component across SIWW, WCS and CESS, the inaugural City Solutions Singapore brought together more than 1,000 leading companies and innovative start-ups across 31,000 sq meters to showcase new and cutting-edge solutions for urban development, water, and waste and cleaning management. Four country/region pavilions—Turkey, Spain, Scotland and the EU Business Avenues in Southeast Asia Pavilion—joined 17 other pavilions to provide a gateway for their companies to enter the growing Asian water market.
“This year’s SIWW saw more discussions elevating the water agenda for cities, enhancing collaborations between the public and private sectors and the use of next-generation technologies for the future of water,” said Bernard Tan, managing director of SIWW. “The high value and wide-ranging announcements cement SIWW’s value proposition as a global platform for business match-making, practical solutions and innovative technologies.”
More than 100 colocated events were organized on the sidelines of SIWW. Singapore also hosted the second ISO TC 224 Working Group 12 meeting July 14 to 15. This working group is in charge of drafting the new ISO standard on water efficiency management systems, which is based on the Singapore Standard on water efficiency management systems (SS 577). SS 577 was first published by SPRING Singapore in 2012 to support PUB’s water sustainability efforts by helping companies in the industrial, commercial and institutional sectors to better account for their water usage and implement sustainable water management practices. The new ISO standard on water efficiency management systems will incorporate the latest water efficiency management practices, including those implemented in Singapore. This new standard will help organizations throughout the world manage their precious water resources in a more sustainable manner.
SIWW will return for its 8th edition from July 8 to 12, 2018. Returning exhibitors have already committed close to 60% of exhibition space. The global water conference will continue to be colocated with the World Cities Summit and the CleanEnviro Summit Singapore.
Source: Singapore International Water Week
