A desalination plant in Singapore's western Tuas district, is part of the city-state's effort to raise its self-sufficiency in water. (Photo: asia.nikkei.com)
Singapore (VNA) – The Singaporean Government is spending 10 billionSGD (7.2 billion USD) to complete an underground sewer system in the citystate.
The underground superhighway is 3-6 metres in diameter, and is installed at adepth of 35-55 metres. It will collect wastewater from households andfactories, and transport it to treatment plants. Post-treatment water will beused mainly for industrial and air-con cooling purposes.
According to Ng Joo Hee, chief executive of the Public Utilities Board, usedwater is a source of good water, and it should not be wasted.
The approximately 90 km-long tunnel line, which is scheduled for completion by2025, is meant to increase the ratio of recycled wastewater to total waterdemand in Singapore from current 40 percent.
TheSingaporean government hopes to meet up to 85 percent of demand with wastewaterrecycling and seawater desalination by 2060.
As a water-scare nation, Singapore is investing heavily to raise its waterself-sufficiency rate because it has periodically faced pressure over the issuefrom neighbouring Malaysia, which has traditionally supplied it with much ofits water.-VNA
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A desalination plant in Singapore's western Tuas district, is part of the city-state's effort to raise its self-sufficiency in water. (Photo: asia.nikkei.com) 
