PUB Studies Ways to Better Protect Coastal Reservoirs Against Future Sea Level Rise

PUB, the national water agency, is calling a tender for an engineering study to identify possible measures to protect our coastal reservoir structures such as dams, tidal gates, dykes and spillways at 11 reservoirs against future sea level rise.

Nine of the 17 reservoirs in Singapore are estuarine reservoirs situated near the sea. These were created in the last 40 years by damming up the river mouths to create freshwater bodies and flushing out the salty water over time. The dams as well as dykes act as tidal barriers to prevent seawater from entering the reservoirs. Besides the estuarine reservoirs (in Annex A), Pandan Reservoir and Jurong Lake which are connected to the sea by canals are also included in the study.

The study will review the design of the existing structures at the coastal reservoirs and assess if they are adequate to cope with the projected sea level rises based on the 2nd National Climate Change Study conducted by Centre for Climate Research Singapore. It will also look into measures to ensure the structural integrity of these reservoir structures against the projected future sea levels. Some of the possible adaptation measures include raising of tidal gates, installation of buffer beams and measures to retrofit the tidal gates structures.

“We need to start early to enhance our adaptation plans to address the impacts of climate change and protect our water infrastructures. While the reservoir structures are adequate in addressing the current sea levels, taking on this study allows us to prepare for future sea level rises and take early steps to protect coastal reservoirs against seawater intrusion up to the year 2100.” said Tan Nguan Sen, PUB’s Chief Sustainability Officer.

To cater to long-term sea level rise, the minimum land reclamation level in Singapore has been raised by another 1 metre in 2011. This level is more than 2 metres above the highest recorded sea level and is adequate in addressing projected sea levels.

Please click here for Annex A.

Source: PUB, the national water agency