Singapore to supply additional potable water to Johor after urgent request made

SINGAPORE — Singapore is providing Johor with an additional six million gallons of treated water per day after Johor’s water regulatory body made an urgent request.

This additional supply started on Sunday (July 17) and will continue for three days, Singapore’s PUB said in a statement. Currently, the Republic already provides 15 to 16 million gallons of treated water per day regularly for Johor.

According to the PUB, Johor requires the additional six million gallons of water per day to stabilise its supply system in Johor Baru, which has been affected by pollution in the Johor River.

“Service to PUB’s customers in Singapore will not be affected in any way as we are able to increase local production at short notice,” said the national water agency.

Last month, Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli said Singapore’s water supply was adequate even though it started supplying more potable water to Johor at the request of the Malaysian state’s water regulatory body.

He also said the Government had asked the Malaysian authorities to look at other ways to top up Linggiu Reservoir, which PUB operates and from which both Singapore and Johor draw water.

Under the 1962 Water Agreement with Malaysia, the PUB is entitled to draw 250 million gallons of raw water per day from the Johor River. In turn, PUB is obliged to sell 5 million gallons of treated water per day to Johor.

In practice, however, the PUB has been regularly providing Johor with three times this, up to 16 million gallons on a daily basis, said the water agency. The terms of the Water Agreement end in 2061.