Singapore’s national water agency, PUB, has completed the Tengah Service Reservoir, a major drinking water infrastructure project designed to meet rising demand from one of the city-state’s fastest-growing urban areas. The facility will support both residential and industrial developments in Tengah Town, a new district in western Singapore, and had an approximate cost of $120 million.
The new facility consists of two potable water tanks with a combined storage capacity equivalent to around 22 Olympic-sized swimming pools. It has been planned to accommodate future demand from Tengah Town, which is expected to contain about 42,000 households, as well as from businesses located in the future Tengah industrial precinct within the Jurong Innovation District.
Situated at the highest point in Tengah, the reservoir uses gravity to distribute water to surrounding developments, reducing the need for additional pumping and improving operational efficiency. The facility is also remotely operated through a centralised monitoring and control system capable of tracking key functions in real time and issuing automated alerts when supply or demand conditions change.
The tender was awarded to local firm Chye Joo Construction Pte Ltd, which used the slipform method to build the reservoir, a first for a service reservoir in Singapore. The technique requires concrete to be poured continuously without interruption, producing circular walls that are cast as a single unbroken structure. Because the walls contain no joints, the risk of leakage is significantly reduced and the tanks are expected to perform more reliably over time.
The Tengah facility is one of more than 10 service reservoirs that PUB operates across Singapore, a network that also includes NEWater reservoirs catering to industrial users. Reservoirs of this kind serve an important stabilising function in the water supply system, smoothing out the day-to-day swings in consumption and providing a buffer when demand peaks or supply is temporarily disrupted.
