UPDATE ON SALINITY OF MARINA BARRAGE AND ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS

UPDATE ON SALINITY OF MARINA BARRAGE AND ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS

31.

Mr Seah Kian Peng asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources whether he will provide an update on the salinity of Marina Barrage and the ecological effects on the surrounding areas as well as the rivers feeding into it.

Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: The Marina Reservoir has provided three benefits: augmenting Singapore's water supply, alleviating floods, and creating a new lifestyle attraction. With the completion of the Marina Barrage, desalting of the reservoir began in April 2009 and has steadily progressed through natural replacement by rainwater.

To better understand and mitigate possible ecological impacts as the salinity changes, an external study was commissioned by PUB prior to the desalting process. Close monitoring of the reservoir and surrounding ecology since the onset of the desalting process has so far shown no undesirable effects, but PUB will continue to monitor the situation.

I am pleased to inform that the desalting of Marina Reservoir is largely completed. While there remains a bottom layer of brackish water which is being reduced, the upper layer of Marina Reservoir is sufficiently desalted for extraction. In fact, the Marina Reservoir was commissioned in November 2010 and has started contributing towards Singapore's water needs, helping to ensure that Singaporeans continue to enjoy a clean and sustainable supply of water.

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