SINGAPORE: According to national water agency PUB on Friday( Sep 22 ), the cost of treating and supplying water has increased significantly due to energy and construction costs driving up costs.
Globally, achieving water security has become” more challenging ,” and Singapore is no exception, according to PUB during a Tuas Water Reclamation Plant progress update. A significant portion of the plant, known as the Deep Tunnel Sewerage System( DTSS ) & nbsp, which is part of Singapore’s second phase, has been finished.
One of the difficulties is weather change, which has made extreme weather more common, an increase in water demand that is expected to nearly twice by 2065, as well as additional cost pressures brought on by disruptions in the global supply chain and political events. & nbsp,
The company emphasized the rising costs for power, design, chemicals, and upkeep, saying that” these external price pressures are not unique to PUB.” & nbsp,
The average electricity tariffs have increased by almost 37 % since 2017 and by about 50 % at its peak as a result of rising fuel prices, which has caused energy costs to rise. & nbsp,
According to the agency, PUB must use more energy-intensive supply sources, such as desalination and NEWater, to behave more employed water due to rising water demand.
Since 2017, Singapore’s overall construction costs have increased by 35 %.
According to PUB, building more lightweight structures to reduce land footprint and using less intrusive construction techniques reduce the need for road or utility diversions make building water infrastructure more expensive in an environment that is becoming more urbanized. & nbsp,
PUB cited pipejacking as an example of a less-intrusive technique for building pipelines and stated that the cost of using this technique is then S$ 17 million( US$ 124 million ) for every kilometer, an increase of 70 % from the Sulphur$ 10 million per miles in 2017.
The second phase of DTSS may charge S$ 6.5 billion because of rising labor and construction costs. According to PUB, this is nearly twice as expensive as Phase 1, which was constructed nearly 20 years back and cost S$ 3.4 billion. The company added that the cost of building the strong caves for Phase 2 has more than tripled. & nbsp,
Additionally, since 2017, operating costs for compounds, which are essential components in the ocean treatment method, have increased by about 33 %. As a result of COVID-19 and supply chain disruptions, the cost of labor and parts for the liquid system has increased by 18 %, which has also increased the repair costs of the system.