PUB, Singapore’s national water agency, has appointed CH2M Hill Singapore Pte Ltd as the detailed design consultant for the Tuas Water Reclamation Plant (WRP), a key component of the Deep Tunnel Sewerage System (DTSS) Phase 2.

CH2M Hill Singapore was appointed following a prequalification and tender exercise in 2016. Over the next two years, the company will develop the detailed design of Tuas WRP and subsequently supervise the construction and commissioning of the plant.

The construction of Tuas WRP is expected to commence in the second half of 2018 and will feature multiple construction tenders for civil, mechanical and electrical engineering works as well as equipment providers for various plant components.

Unlike conventional WRPs, the advanced Tuas WRP will be receiving used water flows from the western part of Singapore via two separate deep tunnels – a tunnel to convey domestic used water and another to convey high-strength industrial used water. It will also use membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology to treat both used water sources and to higher standards. Domestic used water will be treated at a 650,000 cu m/day module and then further purified to NEWater, while industrial used water will be treated at a separate 150,000 cu m/day module and sent back to industries for reuse.

With an initial total treatment capacity of 800,000 cu m/day, Tuas WRP is believed to be the largest MBR facility in the world, but with a 30 percent more compact footprint compared to conventional plants, said PUB. The plant will also feature an integrated NEWater factory, with an initial capacity of 25 million imperial gallons per day. Furthermore, Tuas WRP will be co-located with an incineration facility to harness the potential synergies of the water-energy-waste nexus, making it more efficient and greener.

“DTSS Phase 2 continues to leverage advanced technologies and detailed planning to enhance Singapore’s used water management system and ensure water resilience and sustainability for generations to come. With a separate network for the collection and treatment of industrial used water, the Tuas WRP enables PUB to not only meet the growing water needs of the industrial sector, but also ensures the continued reliability of NEWater,” said Yong Wei Hin, director of DTSS Phase 2, PUB.