The NEWater Visitor Centre (NVC) in Bedok will be closing its doors on 31 July 2024 after more than two decades of promoting water sustainability. Since its opening in 2003, the iconic centre has welcomed over 1.7 million local and international visitors. It features interactive displays, tours, exhibits and workshops that showcase the evolution and production of NEWater, Singapore’s brand of high-grade reclaimed water.
The adjacent Bedok NEWater Factory (BNF), Singapore’s oldest NEWater production plant launched in the same year, will also cease operations on 31 July 2024 upon reaching the end of its operational lifespan. It will be replaced with a third NEWater factory at Changi Water Reclamation Plant (WRP), which will be more than double BNF’s production capacity.
NEWater - Singapore’s Third Tap and the Pillar of Water Security
A powerful innovation and a success in Singapore’s water story, NEWater represents a key pillar in Singapore’s water security since its launch in 2002. With NEWater, we have successfully closed the water loop and are able to reuse water endlessly. This ultra-clean, high grade recycled water is the product of relentless R&D, produced by purifying treated used water using advanced membrane technologies and ultraviolet disinfection.
Mr Ong Tze-Ch’in, Chief Executive of PUB, said: “NEWater symbolises Singapore’s spirit of innovation in leapfrogging our natural constraints. Over two decades, Singaporeans young and old have made the journey to the NEWater Visitor Centre to learn about how we recycle used water endlessly, allowing us to overcome our lack of natural water resources. With its closure, PUB will explore new platforms for education on our NEWater story.”
The NVC is the cornerstone of an extensive public education programme to help Singaporeans appreciate the safe technology behind NEWater. For example, during guided tours, visitors engaged in role-playing as water molecules undergoing treatment and gained a better understanding of the robust three-stage treatment process in NEWater production. PUB will look into leveraging other sites and deepening collaboration with our partners to develop the next iteration of NEWater education. Meanwhile, Singaporeans can visit the Marina Barrage's Sustainable Singapore Gallery to learn more about NEWater and the Four National Taps. Information on NEWater is also available on PUB's website (https://go.gov.sg/newater).
Staff and partners who have contributed to the evolution of NEWater and the Singapore Water Story will be invited to a closing ceremony in September 2024 to commemorate the significant roles NVC and BNF have played in the Singapore Water Story. Members of the public can also share their fond memories and interesting stories related to NEWater and NVC on PUB’s social media in the lead-up to its closure.
