Singapore’s leaders push for water conservation on World Water Day

SINGAPORE - There has been little or no rainfall since mid-January, and the importance water conservation was stressed by our leaders as Singapore observes World Water Day today (March 15).

Activities aimed at spreading the water conservation message were held island-wide today. With the theme of “Going Big on Saving Water” - activities will be held throughout the month reaching out to more than 200,000 people.

Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said everyone should make small lifestyle adjustments to make a big difference to Singapore’s efforts in saving water.

Speaking at the Marina Barrage which saw some 10,000 people taking part in various activities, he stressed that immediate steps must be taken to cut down on non-essential water usage.

Also spreading the message to save water was Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who addressed some 3,000 people at Jurong Lake.

Mr Tharman said: “I didn’t know that if you reduce your shower time by one minute, it will save nine litres of water. I’m told that amongst many of our younger generation, they just leave their shower on while they are soaping themselves. So turn the shower off when it’s not necessary.”

Mr Teo also had his own conservation tip to share: “Use water from a mug instead of a running tap while brushing your teeth. Wash clothes on a full load or re-use rinse water from the washing machine for flushing. When added up, these savings will help stretch out water resources further.”

Also spreading the message of water conservation was Law Minister K Shanmugam at Yishun Pond and Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin in Geylang Serai.

Geyland Serai residents were asked to bring two consecutive utility bills between September 2013 and March 2014. The first 200 residents who reduced usage by at least S$2 get a S$5 NTUC voucher.

Minister of State for Trade and Industry Teo Ser Luck also stressed the importance of saving water to residents at Punggol Waterway. CHANNEL NEWSASIA