Sembcorp NEWater Plant at Changi | Reclaimed Water Project

PUB, Singapore’s national water agency, selected a team comprising Sembcorp and Black & Veatch* to deliver the country’s fifth and largest NEWater facility, which produces recycled water. The Sembcorp NEWater Plant (SNP) at Changi will ensure that Sembcorp supplies NEWater to the PUB for the next 25 years.

To meet its daily water needs, Singapore has to import a significant amount of water from neighboring Malaysia, which is energy-intensive. Taken as part of a holistic approach to water management, NEWater is a state-of-the-art tool that helps to relieve water scarcity. The design team of water and energy experts focused on minimizing life cycle costs. Black & Veatch provided the detailed design, as well as construction support and assistance in startup of the facility.

Advanced Water Treatment

The facility is the largest NEWater plant in Singapore and one of the world’s largest dual-membrane water reclamation plants, capable of producing a total of 228,000 cubic metres (50 million imperial gallons) of NEWater per day. SNP relies on advanced water treatment process steps, which include microfiltration membranes, reverse osmosis membranes and ultraviolet disinfection to produce NEWater.

The design of the SNP minimizes land use and construction costs by placing the main NEWater facilities on the roof of the Changi Water Reclamation Plant (CWRP). Treated used water from the CWRP is pumped directly to the SNP as feedwater, minimizing the extent of pipework for conveyance. SNP allows used water, which would otherwise be lost to the sea, to be treated and reused as process water by local industry.

The NEWater process represents an industry gold standard practice. Because NEWater production requires significantly less energy than seawater desalination and energy-intensive, long-distance water transfer, less pressure is put on the local energy grid. As the industry leader in the connectivity of energy and water, Black & Veatch is providing Sembcorp with better ways of using water and energy more efficiently.

NEWater is a state-of-the-art tool that helps to relieve water scarcity.

*A project undertaken in Singapore when Black & Veatch owned that business.