WATER SITUATION (Statement by the Prime Minister)

The Prime Minister (Mr Lee Kuan Yew): Sir, I want to report to the House on the water situation.

Heavy rainfall over the whole Island in the past 10 days, including 4.32 inches for Tuesday, the 16th of January, alone, has brought water stock in our Singapore Reservoirs to full capacity, Rainfall for the month of January up to yesterday, 24th January, has been 14.95 inches as against the January average of 9 inches for the last 86 years. This has enabled the Water Department temporarily to lift rationing and to supply our total consumer needs solely from our Singapore Reservoirs. This will also take advantage of the Singapore rains while conserving stocks in our Johore Reservoirs which are still low because there were no correspondingly heavy rains there in the last fortnight.

However, the general situation of our total stocks is not altogether satisfactory. About two-thirds of our water stocks are in our Johore Reservoirs of Pontian and Gunong Pulai and these are only 53 per cent of the full capacity, making a 47 per cent shortage. However, in expectation of further rainfall for the rest of January and normal rainfall for February rationing is being lifted.

The Water Department does not expect water rationing to become necessary again unless a drought were to recur later in the year. Everyone can help by checking waste either in homes or at public standpipes.

Sir, the summary of the figures for the Johore reservoirs, which I propose to table, reads as follows:

Gunong Pulai, total capacity, 1,220 million gallons: shortage, 550 million gallons.

Pontian, maximum capacity, 2,525 million gallons: shortage, 1,218 million gallons.

Mr Rajah: Mr Speaker, Sir, as I understood the Prime Minister to say that he is now drawing from Singapore stocks, for the total supply for Singapore would be assure the House that the stocks that go into the consumer taps are properly and adequately treated?

The Prime Minister: Sir, I think it is the duty of both the Water Department and the City Analyst to ensure that Members of this Assembly and the public generally can continue to enjoy the privilege of living in Singapore which is one of the few cities in South-East Asia where you can consume water off the tap.

Mr David Marshall: Hear, hear!