National water agency PUB will be carrying out a feasibility study for a potential new desalination plant in Singapore. A tender for the study will be called on 26 December 2025.
Desalinated water is Singapore’s fourth national tap introduced in 2005. It is a weather-resilient source that adds to Singapore’s water security. Singapore currently has five desalination plants in operation, and PUB will continue to invest in expanding our water infrastructure to safeguard our water supply and security.
The feasibility study is expected to take approximately 10 months to complete, which will entail the development of various plant design options, and assessments on the technical feasibility and economic viability of the proposed designs.
As part of the study, PUB will assess the viability of constructing a dual-mode plant, similar to the existing Marina East Desalination Plant. Such a facility would be equipped with the capability to treat either seawater or freshwater, with the flexibility to switch between modes, thus enhancing the weather-resilience of Singapore’s water supply.
PUB will also explore innovative and multi-functional designs to maximise land-use and lower the new plant’s footprint. This considers lessons learnt from existing desalination plants, such as incorporating higher multi-storey buildings and deeper basements to house treatment facilities. PUB will balance the benefits of these alternative designs with considerations of technical feasibility and potentially higher costs.
