FACTSHEET ACTIVE, BEAUTIFUL, CLEAN WATERS (ABC WATERS) PROGRAMME

The Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters (ABC Waters) programme is a long-term initiative by national water agency PUB to transform Singapores drains, canals and reservoirs into beautiful streams, rivers and lakes, that are well-integrated with the surrounding parks and spaces. Part of PUBs strategic objective to bring Singaporeans closer to water so that they can better appreciate and cherish this precious resource, it creates new community focal points and recreational spaces for people to enjoy. These projects will also enhance our quality of living, in line with the vision of transforming Singapore into a City of Gardens and Water. Under the first phase of the programme, more than 20 projects will be carried out islandwide by 2012. Three demonstration projects at Kolam Ayer, Bedok Reservoir and MacRitchie Reservoir have been completed. Construction for 12 projects are ongoing, with 10 projects to be completed within the year. In addition, 11 projects are slated for project commencement by the first quarter of 2011. At the same time, the public has to play a part to ensure the continued success of the ABC Waters Programme, and help to keep our waterways free from pollution and litter, for all to enjoy. Completed Pilot Projects Kallang River - Kolam Ayer At Kolam Ayer, a 200m stretch of Kallang River between Bendemeer Road and Kolam Ayer pedestrian bridge was enhanced with water sensitive landscaping along the riverbanks, a floating deck and water features comprising water wheel and three Archimedean screws for people to play and get closer to water. The works were completed in March 2008. Bedok Reservoir In addition to improving existing infrastructure, new facilities such as floating decks and sitting galleries at the reservoir bank were built to enable people to conduct activities in and around Bedok Reservoir. The works were completed in March 2008. MacRitchie Reservoir The first phase of improvement works at MacRitchie was completed in July 2009. This includes a new multi-storey carpark, an amenities centre and an improved floating pontoon for kayakers. The natural environment at MacRitchie Reservoir was also enhanced with more greenery amid lush landscaping.

Phase 2 works at MacRitchie will commence in Mar 2010 and will be completed by 2011. This comprises improvement works to the bandstand, internal roads and footpaths, as well as a new F& B outlet.

Some on-going projects to be completed by 2010: Sungei Punggol - Sengkang Floating Wetland The Sengkang Floating Wetland will be constructed in the new Punggol Reservoir. It will provide a natural habitat for birds and fishes, and will help to improve the water quality. Boardwalks will bring people closer to the water to enjoy the scenic views and learn about the wetland ecosystem, while creating spaces for community activities. The floating wetland will also provide a seamless and interesting connection between the Anchorvale community club and Sengkang sports centre on one bank and the Sengkang Riverside Park on the other bank. Lower Seletar Reservoir Family and Rowers Bay The Family Bay @ Lower Seletar Reservoir aims to have leisure and family-based activities, providing the public with more opportunities to interact with water. A multipurpose stage for performances will be constructed next to the reservoir. This stage will double up as a childrens playground and water stage for cultural performances. A heritage bridge will also be constructed to allow public to enjoy picturesque views of the reservoir. In addition, there will be panels that depict the history of the reservoir and its previous Orang Seletar Settlement. At Rowers Bay, the serenity of the area would be retained. A linear garden with viewing benches will allow spectators to watch the activities in the reservoir. Alexandra Canal A stretch of the Alexandra Canal will become an attractive open waterway with softened banks through the use of plantings which allows for seamless integration with adjacent future developments. A short stretch of the open waterway will be decked over to create an interesting water cascade and a shallow stream. There will also be urban wetlands, which will employ different wetland plants and their natural properties to clean the water. This provides an excellent opportunity for outdoor classes for the nearby schools and community learning. Other projects to be completed by 2010 include: Pandan Reservoir, Jurong Lake, Sungei Whampoa (St Georges Lane), Sungei Kallang / Whampoa RC31, Kranji Reservoir and Pang Sua Diversion Canal. On-going projects to be completed by 2011: Kallang River-Bishan Park Kallang River along Bishan Park will be redeveloped and integrated with the surrounding park. The river will be transformed into a natural, picturesque waterway that will meander into the park and become the focus of the park. This will create

new spaces for social interaction and serve to foster a sense of communal ownership and appreciation of this precious waterway. Other interesting features include the water playground, a river promenade with an amphitheatre and alfresco dining, and a cascading water feature. The project also features natural cleansing systems using plants such as a cleansing biotope and bioswales. Besides the natural cleansing effect, these systems will also create a thriving ecosystem as well as form part of a beautiful landscape at Bishan Park. Serangoon Reservoir Lorong Halus The former landfill will be transformed into a wetland, providing bird-watching and mangrove exploration at Serangoon Reservoir. There will be an educational kiosk and a wetland trail to educate the public on the functions of wetlands.

ABC Waters Design Guidelines Design features like rain gardens, bio-retention swales, wetlands and green roofs use natural purification processes to protect water quality in our reservoirs and waterways, enhance the aesthetics and biodiversity of the landscape, and reduce peak flow. In line with our long-term plans to transform Singapore into a City of Gardens and Water, PUB hopes to encourage the adoption of these sustainable ABC Waters design features on a more widespread basis, by both the public and private sectors. The ABC Waters Design Guidelines was thus designed to help build industry capability to design and construct these design features. Through the guidelines, the private and public sectors are encouraged to explore new ways to implement these features and integrate waterways within developments to enhance the environment. So far, the ABC Waters concept has been well-received by public agencies and private developers, with more than 10 projects initiated/implemented so far. PUB is also working with other agencies such as HDB, LTA and NParks, to implement pilot projects along roads, in parks and residential areas to demonstrate the feasibility and benefits of ABC Waters design features under local conditions. In addition, PUB is working closely with BCA to enhance the scoring under ABC Waters for BCAs new Green Mark Schemes to give recognition to public agencies and private developers who embrace the ABC Waters management concept in their developments. PUB also participates in the monthly BCA Certified Green Mark Manager Training to update developers and professionals on the development of ABC Waters design guidelines and to share the test results of pilot projects.

Community Engagement The support and buy-in from the community is key to ensuring the continued success of the ABC Waters Programme in the long term. PUB engages the grassroots, schools and residents early in the planning process, to gather their views and ideas,

and to encourage them to organise and participate in activities in and around the projects. For ABC Waters@Kallang River-Bishan Park, feedback from the grassroots was incorporated into the design, for example, using natural barriers along the waterway which will blend in with the landscaping, providing wetlands to bring back wildlife to Kallang River and Bishan Park, and enhancing the connectivity between the residential areas and Bishan Park. In addition, the ABC Waters programme has been well-received, with over 70 community events held at the 3 demonstration ABC Waters projects since their completion. In particular, Bedok Reservoir has seen the number of events increase by 4 times with the completion of the ABC waters project. PUB is also working with tertiary institutions to include ABC Water Design Guidelines in their curriculum. For example, Ngee Ann Polytechnic has started a new module on ABC Waters Management in end 2009. Other institutions like Singapore Polytechnic will introduce ABC Waters Design in their course content and projects from 2010. Moving forward, PUB will continue to work with professional bodies to conduct courses, technical talks and workshops for practicing architects, engineers, landscape architects and other professionals to produce a pool of trained ABC Waters professionals.