Guide for waters design launched

Source : Business Times – 26 Jun 2009

A HANDBOOK for incorporating waterscapes in developments was launched yesterday at Singapore International Water Week.

‘The ABC Waters Design Guidelines handbook is meant to be a ‘living’ document that provides general guiding principles,’ said Tan Nguan Sen, PUB’s director of catchment and waterways.

Launched in 2006 by national water agency PUB, the ABC programme aims to transform Singapore’s drains, canals and reservoirs into streams, rivers and lakes. Progress has already been made, with the completion of three demonstration projects at Kolam Ayer, Bedok Reservoir and MacRitchie Reservoir.

‘In the next two to three years, we can look forward to over 20 ABC projects around the island, of which nine are already under construction,’ Dr Amy Khor, Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Environment and Water Resources), said at the handbook launch yesterday morning. ‘Over 100 other projects will be realised in the next 10 to 15 years.’

The Sengkang floating wetland at Sungei Punggol is among the projects that will come on stream in the next couple of years.

PUB hopes to attract support from the public and private sectors to enable catchment-wide implementation and the long-term sustainability of the programme.

‘It’s important that developers take on projects,’ said Herbert Dreiseitl, founder of landscape architecture firm Atelier Dreiseitl, adding that such projects offer them opportunities. ‘This is the market for the future,’ he said.

Mr Dreiseitl also said that Singapore may see more such projects closer to its urban centre.

Some private developers have already started incorporating such design features in their projects. GuocoLand Group’s Goodwood Residence will have features such as vertical green walls that incorporate a rain-water harvesting system.