SINGAPORE: NEWater, Singapore's own brand of high-grade reclaimed water, continues to surpass international quality standards despite more rigorous audit process. This is the unanimous verdict of a panel of international and local water experts, after a week of extensive audit and review.

The so-called External Audit Panel concluded that "NEWater continues to be consistently of high quality and exceeds the Environmental Public Health's (EPH) and United States Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) drinking water standards as well as the drinking water guidelines established by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and is therefore, safe as a source of water supply."

The comprehensive sampling and monitoring programme was established in 1999 as part of the R&D for the development of NEWater and has been gradually expanded from 190 physical, chemical and microbiological parameters to more than 290 monitored today.

Professor Joan Rose, chairperson of the panel since its inception, said: "We are very pleased to note that the high quality of NEWater has remained consistent all these years. In tandem with the rapidly evolving water R&D sector, the audit process has become more rigorous over the years.

"Even with additional parameters to be monitored and lower levels of detection through more sensitive instrumentation, NEWater still goes beyond the mark in all measures of quality.

"This demonstrates that the quality of NEWater surpasses international standards, and it also stands up well against the criteria established in Singapore."

Professor Rose is also the Homer Nowlin Chair in Water Research, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife in Michigan State University, USA.

Formed in November 2003, the seven-member External Audit Panel comprises experts from various disciplines ranging from engineering, water chemistry, toxicology and microbiology.

The panel was in Singapore for the 12th External Audit Panel Meeting, which was held in conjunction with the recently-concluded Singapore International Water week.

Because of its ultra-clean quality, NEWater is supplied to high-tech industrial and commercial customers in Singapore, especially those that have high-end processes like wafer fabrication that require water of a higher quality.

In line with international practice, NEWater is mixed with raw water in the reservoirs before undergoing further treatment at the waterworks for supply as drinking water. The existing plan is to progressively increase the amount of NEWater in reservoirs.

- CNA/ir