Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters Programme wins at Global Water Awards 2013

PUB, Singapore’s national water agency’s Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters (ABC Waters) Programme has been conferred the Utility Performance Initiative of the Year at the Global Water Awards 2013 presented at the Global Water Summit in Seville, Spain. This is an award that recognises a water utility’s commitment to improving the long-term performance of water services to the public through an initiative.

Started in 2006, the ABC Waters Programme is a long-term initiative by PUB to transform Singapore’s utilitarian drains, canals and reservoirs into beautiful streams, rivers and lakes that are well-integrated with the surrounding parks and spaces, and create focal points and recreational spaces for the community to enjoy. This brings Singaporeans closer to water so that they can better appreciate and cherish this precious resource. The ABC Waters programme also creates an environmental asset out of water, enhancing our quality of living and turning Singapore into a ‘City of Gardens and Water’.

“Water sustainability cannot be achieved by increasing the water supply alone – it is just as important that the community see themselves as joint stewards of water. This is especially so given that two thirds of Singapore is water catchment and most people live, work and play in water catchments. With the ABC Waters programme, everyone gets to enjoy and bond with water, and is inspired to take personal responsibility to value this environmental asset. Winning the Global Water Awards 2013 is certainly an impetus for PUB as we continue our efforts to build a community of water stewards who are passionate about our water bodies and take personal responsibility to keep them clean,” said Mr Chew Men Leong, Chief Executive, PUB.

More than 100 potential sites have been identified for ABC Waters implementation by 2030, with 27 projects implemented thus far. Moving forward, at least 20 new projects will commence in the next five years.

Established in 2006, the annual Global Water Awards are presented at the Global Water Summit – a major business conference for the water industry worldwide. The Awards represent what the industry perceives as being the most deserving of merit during the year and include the following categories – ‘Water Company of the Year’, ‘Water Deal of the Year’ and ‘Utility Performance Initiative of the Year’. The other finalists for the category ‘Utility Performance Initiative of the Year’ were New York City Department of Environmental Protection’s OpX programme (U.S), Sabesp’s tariff revision and investments in infrastructure (Brazil) and Tokyo Waterworks’ investments in infrastructure and development of an earthquake plan (Japan).