Singapore opens second sea water treatment plant

Singapore opened its second sea water treatment plant on Wednesday, raising the proportion of water demand met by desalinated water to about 25 percent. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong officially opened the Tuaspring Desalination Plant on Wednesday. Situated on a 14-hectare site in Tuas in Western Singapore, it will supply 70 million gallons of water per day for 25 years. It is the second plant to be developed and operated by Singapore's biggest listed water treatment company Hyflux. Construction of the plant began in 2011. It also features an on- site combined cycle gas turbine power plant which will supply electricity to the desalination facility. Singapore's first desalination plant, Singspring Singapore, was opened in 2005 and supplies 30 million gallons of treated water a day, making up 10 percent of Singapore's total water supply. Treated seawater is one of Singapore's four "national taps." The other three are imported water from Malaysia, recycled water and water from reservoirs. Singapore's daily water demand is now about 400 million gallons.