PUB calls tender for expansion of Changi Water Reclamation Plant

SINGAPORE'S national water agency PUB has called a tender for the expansion of Changi Water Reclamation Plant (Changi WRP) to help meet future demand for used water treatment by adding another 44 million gallons a day to the treatment capacity of the plant.

The tender includes civil and infrastructural expansion works as well as the installation of advanced membrane bioreactor (MBR) equipment. The MBR treatment module will be increased in two phases of 22 million gallons a day each, in tandem with used water flow projections. It is expected to be completed by end 2019.

"With this expansion, Changi WRP will be one of the world's largest membrane bioreactor facilities. More importantly, it will produce more treated used water effluent for NEWater production and increase our water recycling rate, which will allow us to ensure a robust and sustainable supply of water for Singapore's future", said Yahya Abdul Ghani, PUB's director of Water Reclamation (Plants), on Thursday.

Commissioned in 2008 with an initial treatment capacity of 176 million gallons a day, Changi WRP is one of the largest and most advanced water reclamation facilities in the world. It treats about half of the country's used water and produces treated effluent which is used as feedstock for NEWater production.

Unlike other WRPs, Changi WRP also has fully covered treatment modules with an integrated NEWater factory on the rooftop. The expanded Changi WRP will continue to be compact and utilise advanced technologies, particularly MBR technology which uses naturally occurring bacteria as well as microfiltration/ultrafiltration systems to break down and treat used water.

MBR is a more efficient method as it optimises the used water treatment process, enabling used water to be treated using less steps and less space compared to conventional systems, and produces a higher quality treated effluent.