DPM Gan Kim Yong at the Singapore World Water Day 2025

Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and Minister-in-Charge of Trade Relations

Senior Minister of State Dr Amy Khor

Colleagues and friends,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Introduction

Good morning to all of you, I am very happy to join you today here to celebrate the launch of Singapore World Water Day.

World Water Day is commemorated around the world annually on 22 March as a reminder of the importance of clean water.

Here in Singapore, we dedicate the month of March to celebrate the significance that water holds in our nation’s survival, security and success.

When Singapore gained independence 60 years ago, our water situation was marked with many uncertainties.

We depended heavily on imported water from Malaysia, and our local water infrastructure was constrained because of our limited land spaces.

Our existential need for water motivated us to find innovative solutions to diversify our water supply – and we developed NEWater.

Our NEWater journey started as early as in the 1970s, but the technology available then was not able to support cost-effective and efficient water reclamation.

We did not give up; instead, we persevered in our vision to recycle and treat used water into reclaimed water.

Three decades later, we realised our ambition and formally added NEWater to our National Taps.

This would not have been possible without the boldness and determination of our forefathers.

Today, we can all take comfort that we have established a holistic and resilient water supply through our Four National Taps – namely, local catchments; imported water; NEWater; and desalinated water.

Even as we celebrate how far we have come in our Water Story, we cannot rest on our laurels. We must continue to strengthen our water resilience, especially amidst rising temperatures, prolonged dry periods and unpredictable rainfall brought about by climate change.

Some of you might recall that in 2014, Singapore experienced our longest dry spell, which lasted 27 days.

This prolonged dry spell caused the water levels in our local reservoirs to drop, and necessitated us to pump up to 25 million gallons per day of NEWater – equivalent to 45 Olympic-sized swimming pools – to top up our reservoirs.

We must be prepared that such dry weather episodes will happen again, and may happen more frequently as well as for longer ¹.

Each of us can do our part to strengthen our water resilience. Let me suggest three ways.

First, by using only what we need. Simple day-to-day actions – such as doing our laundry on a full load, or turning off the tap while brushing our teeth, or taking shorter showers – can go a long way to save water.

Second, by recycling when we can.

For example, we can keep used water from food preparation to water our plants.

We can also reuse leftover plain water to clean household items.

Businesses can also recycle water used in non-potable operations such as manufacturing, cooling and flushing.

Third, by adopting more water-efficient products and methods.

The Government has recently announced the Enhanced Climate Friendly Households Programme, by providing an additional $100 on top of the earlier $300 and expanding the scheme to Singaporean households in private estates. I urge those who have not used their vouchers to do so on household products with greater water efficiency.

I am also glad to share that PUB is exploring a collaboration with the private sector on a new household Water Savings Programme. This programme will help selected 1 to 3-room HDB households to improve water efficiency by replacing water fittings with those that are more water efficient. PUB will announce more details of this programme later.

Businesses can also tap on the Water Efficiency Fund to implement innovative ways to manage their water demand.

PUB has approved more than 380 applications under the Fund since its launch in 2007. In total, these projects have saved up to 16 million gallons per day.

For instance, RF360 Singapore, a subsidiary of Qualcomm Technologies, has tapped on the Water Efficiency Fund four times over the past 8 years to implement water efficiency projects, with water savings of up to 0.22 million gallons per day.

I urge more businesses to tap on the Water Efficiency Fund and join us in our efforts to use water more efficiently.

As we celebrate SG60, let us take pride in how far we have come in turning our vulnerability into resilience through our determination, innovation and vision. Even though we do not have to worry everyday about whether we will have enough water, we must never forget how precious water is, and do our part to use water wisely and prudently in our daily living. Every drop matters, every effort counts, and every Singaporean plays a role in securing our water future.

I wish everyone a happy World Water Day! Thank you.

[1] According to the Third National Climate Change Study released in 2024, Singapore could experience a dry spell between every 10 months to five years by 2100.