The Watermark Award 2010 recipients set new benchmarks in achieving water excellence in the 3P sectors
Today, nine friends of water were crowned winners of the national water agency, PUB’s Watermark Award 2010 for their selfless dedication and contribution towards protecting Singapore’s water resources.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA), The Regent Singapore, Marsiling Secondary School, Woodgrove Secondary School, East View Primary School, Nanyang Polytechnic, Dr Adrian Yeo, Mr Kwong Kok Chan and Mr Chia Yew Loon entered Friends of Water’s Hall of Fame as they received the 2010 Watermark Award from the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, at Marina Barrage. (please refer to Annex 1 for more information on the contributions of the winners)
This year’s nominees used innovative frameworks and new ways to advocate the community to cherish water. “STARS”, “Head, Heart and Hands” and “STEEP” are some of the attractive terms behind the successful water programmes created by these winners which were instrumental in garnering support for their water endeavours.
“These winners certainly fit the bill for the Watermark Award. At the fourth annual Watermark Award today, we see greater effort to get people excited and serious about preserving Singapore’s water resources. Taking a closer look at their “blue” initiatives, it is commendable to see that more individuals and organisations are working hand in hand with PUB and the community to bring water advocacy to greater heights.” said Mr George Madhavan, Director of PUB’s 3P Network.
Helping the Environment with Head, Heart and Hands
Partnering Watermark Award 2008 winner Senoko Energy, Woodgrove Secondary School has rolled out an initiative known as “Head, Heart and Hands” which has brought water conservation to a higher level.
Under this framework, students are given the opportunity to learn and gain hands-on experience on how to save water.
In early 2010, a new programme The Water TAP (Training, Appreciation and Participation) was added.
First year in the running, Water TAP has 40 environmental champions from five different secondary schools competing in a water quiz after a tour and water workshop at the Marina Barrage.
Building on the favourable response to this new programme, Woodgrove Secondary School is targeting to attract 80 participants for the second edition of Water TAP next year.
Leading the Road of Stewardship
Aside from ensuring a smooth travel experience for everyone, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) commits to another mission – environmental quality and sustainability for all.
In 2005, LTA formed an Environmental Section to focus on environmental matters including Earth Control Measures (ECM) and Water Pollution Control Measures at its construction sites. Amongst other, LTA has put in place stringent requirements to ensure that construction of rail networks and roads involving large amount of earthworks do not pollute Singapore’s waters by collecting and treating silted water before discharging it into the public drains.
All of LTA’s civil work projects including the Marina Coastal Expressway, Downtown Line Phase 1 and 2 have stringent ECM in place.
An accomplished water membrane technology researcher at the Nanyang Technological University, Dr Adrian Yeo is also the founder of the ‘Water Initiative for Securing Health’, an NGO that looks into water issues for the less developed areas.
Through this NGO, students have benefited tremendously from working with Dr Adrian Yeo on overseas trips bringing clean water to water scarce areas. They not only learnt about the various local water problems but also precious life lessons on the importance and value of clean water.
To date, Adrian and his students have brought clean water to more than 100,000 people living in water scarce villages in Indonesia, Myanmar and Cambodia by utilising a portable and user-friendly filtration system that he has invented during his PhD days.
The inaugural hospitality winner of Watermark Award
The Regent Hotel is the first hotel in Singapore to be awarded the Watermark Award, beating three other competitors in the hotel industry.
As it has pledged to reduce 3 – 5% of its water consumption each year, the hotel management has implemented extensive water saving initiatives such as installing water efficient fittings and using NEWater for its lobby water features.
The Regent Singapore hopes to achieve more and will soon be partnering PUB and Crescent Girls School in a community outreach programme to assist in the cleanup of Alexandra Canal.
The Watermark Award recognises Friends of Water who have gone the extra mile for the water cause. These are passionate people who volunteer their free time to pick up litter from the waterways, help home owners to install water-saving thimbles, and even spread the message of water conservation and keeping our waters clean.
PUB is a statutory board under the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources. It is the national water agency managing Singapore’s water supply, water catchment and used water in an integrated way. PUB won the 2007 Stockholm Industry Water Award and was named Water Agency of the Year at the Global Water Awards 2006.
PUB has ensured a diversified and sustainable supply of water for Singapore with the Four National Taps (local catchment water, imported water, NEWater, desalinated water). To provide water for all, PUB calls on all Singaporeans to play our part to conserve water, keep our water catchments and waterways clean and build a relationship with water so we can enjoy our water resources. We can then have enough water for all uses – for industry, for living, for life.
LAND TRANSPORT AUTHORITY
Leading the Road of Stewardship
A statutory board under the Ministry of Transport, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) spearheads land transport developments in Singapore. Aside from ensuring a smooth travel experience for everyone, LTA commits to another mission – environmental quality and sustainability for all.
In 2005, LTA formed an Environmental Section to focus on environmental matters including Earth Control Measures (ECM) and Water Pollution Control Measures at its construction sites. Amongst other, LTA has put in place stringent requirements to ensure that the construction of rail networks and roads involving large amount of earthworks do not pollute Singapore’s water resources. One of the requirements is the collection and treatment of silt water from construction sites before discharging them into our drains. All of LTA’s civil work projects have ECM in place; some of them include the Marina Coastal Expressway, Downtown Line Phase 1 and 2.
LTA has also collaborated with HDB, NParks and PUB to incorporate bio-retention swales, an Active, Beautiful and Clean Waters (ABC Waters) design feature that helps to filter surface runoffs along the roads of Sengkang West Way. The plants and shrubs in the design of the bio-retention swales also beautify the landscape.
THE REGENT SINGAPORE
Striking a Balance between Conservation & Comfort
The first hotel out of 4 competing hotels to win the Watermark Award, The Regent Singapore is a renowned Five Star Hotel that places significant efforts in reducing 3 – 5% of its water consumption every year.
Without compromising conservation and comfort, guest and staff rooms are installed with water efficient fittings and hotel guests are reminded to save water by reusing their towels and linens. The use of NEWater for hotel facilities and amenities such as its lobby water features is also another water conservation initiative adopted by The Regent Singapore.
To further motivate staff to contribute to its corporate social responsibility activities, the Regent Singapore strongly believes in awarding and recognizing their staff for their green efforts.
The hotel will soon be partnering PUB and Crescent Girls’ School in a community outreach programme to assist in the cleanup of Alexandra Canal.
Nurturing world-ready citizens and developing an environmentally conscious mindset for students are the key drivers for Marsiling Secondary School’s efforts in water and environmental education.
With a focus on water and energy, the school’s Environment Education Programme (EEP) stands in the forefront of environment education. Under the programme, Marsiling Secondary School students study about water issues in their curriculum and attend water treatment and water management programmes funded by the Hitachi Environment Education Fund.
In 2008, the school partnered with Applied Materials South East Asia to develop its Environment Education Hub (EEH), an exhibition centre that shares the school’s environmental efforts with other schools and the community. Just this July, the hub was selected as one of national water agency PUB’s key ‘Water Showcases’ held in conjunction with the Singapore International Water Week 2010. As part of the programme, visitors to the hub learnt about Singapore’s water story and water conservation tips.
Helping the Environment with Head, Heart and Hands
From ‘Head’ to ‘Heart’, students learn about environment conservation and develop the relationship, responsibility and appreciation of Singapore’s water. And with ‘Hands’, students actively organise and participate in green activities to influence others to do their part for the environment. Although simple, Woodgrove Secondary School’s 3Hs (Head, Heart and Hands) approach is effective in serving their water initiatives.
Partners like PUB, Waterways Watch Society and Senoko Energy are vital in enhancing the school’s water programmes such as Water TAP (Training, Appreciation and Participation). This new initiative had 40 environmental champions from 5 different secondary schools to compete in a water quiz after a tour and attend a water workshop at Marina Barrage. Its objective is to expose students to Singapore’s Water Story, Four National Taps and be equipped with the knowledge of water conservation. The school expresses optimism in this new programme and targets to attract 80 participants for the second edition of Water TAP next year.
In addition, some 7 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) involved in Woodgrove Secondary School’s School Advisory Committee have also benefitted from their students’ water conservation talks.
“Water is Life” has become an enriching learning phrase at East View Primary School. An initiative driven by the Principal, “Water is Life” aims to instill appreciation for water amongst the students and stakeholders.
From involving canteen vendors in the “Water is Life” committee to partnering with Nickelodeon to convey water messages, everyone enjoyed participating and learning about water through fun-filled activities such as poster competitions and Water Wally shows. Water Ambassadors were also appointed to spread water messages at selected kindergartens.
Having recently adopted Bedok Reservoir, staff and students from East View Primary School are thrilled and looking forward to exciting activities happening at the reservoir.
A shining example in environment excellence, Nanyang Polytechnic’s ‘STARS’ framework has won themselves several environmental awards.
Guided by these 5 components - Strong Management Support, Technology Applications & Innovation, Awareness & Conservation, Rigorous Facilities Management and Strategic Design & Development, Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) has partnered with many organisations to extend water advocacy to their students and its community. Joining the action of the Youth Olympic Games, NYP and the Singapore Youth Olympic Games Committee jointly organised the Singapore Games Creation Challenge for secondary school students to create computer games based on the theme “The Environment: Clean Living, Clean Energy and Clean Water”.
NYP has also been working with PUB for various ‘blue’ initiatives, including the Water Wally Activity Book through which preschoolers can learn about water and the importance of conservation. As a new adopter of Lower Seletar Reservoir, NYP and PUB are planning to use the reservoir for community programmes such as engaging the Youth Executive Committee to organize periodic rowing sessions with the deaf-mute community.
Membrane technology may be greek to many, but for Dr Adrian Yeo, that is where his interest lies. An accomplished water membrane technology researcher at the Nanyang Technological University, Adrian is also the first recipient of the Don Quixote Fund Award, an award set up by the recipient of the inaugural Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize in 2008, Dr Andrew Benedek. But beyond his R&D work, Adrian is also the founder of the ‘Water Initiative for Securing Health’, an NGO that looks into water issues for the less developed areas.
Through this NGO, Adrian works with students on overseas trips to help bring clean water to water scarce areas. These trips have given these students the opportunity to understand the water problems that locals are going through and have taught them to appreciate how fortunate they are to have a clean and sustainable water supply in Singapore.
Bringing clean water to the villagers at water scarce countries was easy with a portable filtration unit devised by Adrian during his PhD days. Just a push on a hand pump to send filthy water through a series of fine filters and the water is drinkable right away. To date, Adrian and his students have brought clean water to more than 100,000 people from water poor villagers in Indonesia, Myanmar and Cambodia.
Several of his projects aim to instill the message of ‘Conserve, Value and Enjoy’. At PUB’s Teachers’ Forum 2009 at Commonwealth Secondary School, he was the mentor to a group of students from Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary that demonstrated the concept of membrane technology to an audience of teachers. He has even developed a water simulation game that revolves around the concept of Singapore’s Four National Taps with Temasek Junior College.
While most people spend their day off chilling out or enjoying a day out with family and friends, Mr Kwong Kok Chan, a General Manager in Environment Health & Safety at Senoko Energy Pte Ltd, used his to engage and inspire the community in water and environment consciousness.
Mr Kwong engages schools through many water outreach programmes; such as involving Woodgrove Secondary School, also a Watermark Award 2010 winner, in Senoko’s water conservation efforts. His conservation talks on energy and water is another initiative that is well received by schools and the community.
To further his understanding of our water resources, he participated in PUB’s Volunteer Training Programme so that he can better convey the water messages to his company and the schools.
His passionate care for the environment has led his company to achieve the IChemE Award for Excellence in Education & Chemical Engineering for its community education programme, and the inaugural Watermark Award in 2008.
Back in 2000, environment enthusiast Mr Chia Yew Loon went beyond his portfolio as a Mathematics teacher to initiate an environment movement in Nan Hua High School.
The man behind Nan Hua High School’s “Schools Total Environment Education Programme” (STEEP), Mr Chia’s framework not only integrates environmental topics into the school’s curriculum but also opens up opportunities for schools to work with various environmental partners in promoting environmental awareness in school and amongst the community. Nan Hua Water Week was one of the many projects that Mr Chia has launched from his environment educational programme.
An active volunteer in community committees, this teacher arranges for students’ water projects to be featured at community events to encourage residents to do their part for water. Mr Chia takes great pride in his work as he constantly evaluates and improves his programmes by implementing new ideas and initiatives. Up next, he intends to hold a web discussion on water education with students in Pui Ching Middle School, Hong Kong.
30 Sep 2010