Main asian city water report

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Taking Water Lessons from the Asia-PacificComeback Kings

Having successfully emerged from unpredictable weather patterns and water shortages overthe years, countries across the Asia Pacific Region are now leading the way when it comes tosustainable water supply. What can other countries learn from Hong Kong, Singapore andAustralia? Eamonn Kelly and Alan Man say that integrated planning is key to the region'sfuture growth.

The Bundamba Advanced Water Treatment Plant in South EastQueensland is part of the largest recycled water project in theSouthern Hemisphere. Photo credit: WaterSecure

Necessity is the mother of invention. Regrettably, and too often, work within the water sector ismore about resolving a crisis rather than preventing it. Asia Pacific is under pressure today. Thisincredibly diverse region – economically, socially and geographically – is united by a number of underlying factors that will shape its growth for the next decade.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) says that "developing Asia" - comprising several countriesincluding Malaysia, China, Thailand and Vietnam - will account for close to two thirds of the worldeconomy in 2030, almost doubling the current 34% share of the region in 2009.

However, there is a clear infrastructure deficit, estimated to require a minimum of US$8 trillionover ten years. This deficit is set alongside the constraints of climate change and scarce naturalresources common to many countries – whether the economies are developing or developed.

Lessons from Hong Kong

Hong Kong serves as an important case study for many countries throughout the region. Like manycities along Vietnam's or China's coast today, past migration swelled the city's population andtransformed Asia's barren rock into a prospering economic hub.

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Parallel to this phenomenal growth is a story of Hong Kong's constant search for and preservationof water. Hong Kong does not have enough natural fresh water resources within its boundaries tosupply its needs. Lessons learnt from a serious drought in 1928 ensured Hong Kong admirably keptpace with the city's rapid development through a steady stream of major schemes. These helpedsupply all outlying areas of Hong Kong with tap water by the early 1970s. Ultimately, however,this infrastructure was severely tested by the harsh realities of unpredictable weather patterns whenHong Kong faced another severe water shortage between 1963-64. The challenges of providing asustainable water supply in Hong Kong came into clear focus.

What followed initially was a set of incredibly innovative solutions, embracing the newesttechnologies available. The world's first ever reservoirs carved from the sea were engineered andcomplete in the 1970s in Hong Kong – Plover Cove Scheme and High Island Water SupplyScheme. Colossal engineering works, they still serve the people of Hong Kong as vital elements of the water supply infrastructure. Less permanent and costly was the Lok On Pai Desalter.

For its time, Lok On Pai was the world's largest thermal desalination plant with a treatment capacityof more than 270,000 cubic metre of water per day. Playing an invaluable role in the 1970s, therealities of steeply rising energy costs resulting from the Iran and Iraq war led to its closure in 1982.

Alternative water sources were in place thanks to a sustainable, long-term view adopted by theHong Kong government. The dual supply system whereby seawater is used as an alternative sourcefor flushing was introduced. Negotiations between Hong Kong and mainland China also came tofruition with a historic water supply agreement struck in 1965. Still to this day 70-80% of HongKong's raw water is supplied via a dedicated aqueduct from Dongjiang in mainland China.

Overcoming perceptions and long-term planning

What does this history lesson mean for Asia Pacific today and in particular countries that are fastdeveloping their water infrastructure as their urban centres continue to expand? It provides hope.

Hope that many challenges we face can be overcome if our policy makers and public utilitiesaround the region plan with a long-term view in mind.

Sometimes acceptance of this mindset is borne out of crisis. Take Australia, for example.WaterSecure's recent Western Corridor Recycled Water Scheme in South East Queensland is agreat example of embracing technology on a large scale.

In 2005 South East Queensland was in the grip of the worst drought in the state's recorded history.At the same time, the region continued to experience the fastest population growth in the country.South East Queensland desperately required new sources of water, and new ways of thinking andwater management. Arguably it was this crisis point that paved the way for the implementation of what is the largest recycled water recycling scheme in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Queensland government, facing a crisis, has to be commended for working in collaborationwith various levels of government and in partnership with the private sector to deliver the SouthEast Queensland Water Grid – a long-term and sustainable water supply response. Water istransported from areas of water surplus to areas facing a shortfall via 450km of pipelines. Thismakes use of new high-end sources of water including the Gold Coast Desalination Plant and theWestern Corridor Recycled Water Scheme.

Super Singapore

And let's not forget Singapore. The country is also a shining example of where new sources of

water such as desalination and NEWater (Singapore's brand of ultra-clean, high-grade reclaimedwater) also play a key component of a diversified, innovative and integrated water portfolio.





Like Hong Kong, Singapore also imports water from its neighbour to supplement its water supplywhich is constrained by little land to collect rainwater and no natural aquifers. However, thecountry is moving toward water self-sufficiency and the fruits of its labour regularly come onstream whether through new desalination and NEWater plants, or new advanced additions to thecountry's catchment area.

Most recent was the commissioning of the Marina Reservoir in late November – an incredible city

reservoir and a vision of the Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew that dates some 20 years. The newreservoir itself can meet about 10% of Singapore's water needs. Remarkably, PUB plans toeventually turn 90% of Singapore into catchment areas in the future by tapping into smaller riversand streams around the island, using variable salinity plant technology, an integration of desalination and NEWater treatment processes.

The Shing Mun Reservoir in Hong Kong

Water efficiency is often the most important challenge for countries in Asia Pacific to address.Water stresses are prevalent and daunting – Bangladesh, China, Cambodia, India, Nepal, Pakistan,Philippines and Vietnam have all been documented at or near water stress conditions. Large scalereuse plants or desalination plants may not be the right solution for these countries at this time asoften they warrant more basic solutions.

Asia Pacific's Opportunity

Private investment into the Asia Pacific water industry is expected to increase significantly in thecoming years as there's room for growth. Private sector investment currently accounts for around15% of investments into the infrastructure industry compared with a global average of about 30%.

As well as strengthening existing legal and regulatory frameworks to attract more private investors

and finance from funds and institutional investors, there is also an opportunity to channel Asiansavings to help fund infrastructure programmes.





Asian Innovation: Hong Kong sets the Reservoir Standard

Plover Cove Reservoir, complete 1973

Plover Cove is the first example of a rapid and large-scale conversion of a coastal inlet intoa freshwater reservoir anyway in the world. The novel scheme impounded approximately

500 hectares of saltwater by constructing a two kilometre long dam and a series of smaller dams. The main dam is 44 metres in height (at its maximum) and founded 28 metres belowsea level. The corewall trench is equally enormous: 210 metres wide. Five pumping stationsand tunnels through 37 kilometres of rock (in some place more than nine metres indiameter) were also constructed. A complex system of catchwaters, dropshafts and tunnelscollected mountain runoff, delivering it via a new reservoir created by construction of theLower Shing Mun dam, into Plover Cove. The completed project trebled Hong Kong'sfreshwater reserves and broke a routine of drastic supply restrictions during the winter months.

High Island Reservoir, complete 1978

The High Island Reservoir is regarded as one of the "10 Engineering Wonders in HongKong," by the Hong Kong Institute of Engineers and will appear on the new Hong Kong500 dollar note in early 2011. The principal engineering works included the building of twomain dams, closing off the eastern and western entrances of the Kon Mun Strait, to create anartificial lake. The East Dam is 1,593 feet long and 348 feet high and faces the PacificOcean. The West Dam faces the inner sea of Rocky Harbour and is 2,470 feet long and 333feet high. The construction of the two dams was a complicated process, as two cofferdamshad to be constructed at each of the sites before the main dams could be built. Oncecomplete, seawater was pumped out so that fresh water could be stored in the lake. Thereservoir has a storage capacity of 281 million cubic metres and increased Hong Kong'stotal capacity to 586 million cubic metres at the time. The reservoir continues to be aninvaluable raw water source in Hong Kong. The east main cofferdam is protected by morethan 7,000 dolosses, each weighing 25 tonnes to stop the pounding ocean waves. Todaythese impressive features also help bill the High Island Reservoir as a major weekendattraction for families.

In sharp contrast to debt-laden European countries, for example, gross domestic savings inemerging Asia reached close to US$4 trillion in 2009. In November, the World Bank along withSingapore established the Infrastructure Finance Centre of Excellence to assist regionalgovernments in their efforts to tap private capital for infrastructure.

The big question is whether economies around Asia Pacific will invest in sustainable water andinfrastructure programmes? Whether starting from a low base or more advanced environments suchas Singapore, there is a great opportunity for water utilities in Asia Pacific to embody the tenants of sustainable planning, whether through an adherence to whole of life cycle costs or the implicationsof the nexus of energy and water. Climate change will only add to the current water pressures beingfaced and now more than ever the opportunity is for Asia Pacific to get it right. WWi

References:

1The Asia Water Watch 2015 - a joint study by the ADB, WHO, UNDP and UNESCAP

Author's note: Eamonn Kelly and Alan Man are managing directors and vice presidents of Black & Veatch's South and North Asia Pacific water business. Black & Veatch, through it or itspredecessor, Binnie & Partners, have operated in Asia since 1922.


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