PUB, Singapore's National Water Agency

About the Utility

PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency, is a Singapore Government agency that acts as both the country’s water services provider and its water regulatory authority. Its operations span potable water, NEWater and used water, and it also carries drainage and coastal protection, partly funded through the Government’s Coastal and Flood Protection Fund. Public funding is built into the model: in FY2024 PUB reported government operating grants of $488,696 thousand alongside a net operating loss of $315,544 thousand, and its capital expenditure combines PUB-funded and government-funded spending. Long-term planning traces back to the 1972 Water Master Plan, the blueprint for developing Singapore’s water resources.

Water System

Singapore’s supply combines local catchments with climate-resilient sources such as desalinated water and NEWater. Its first reservoirs, MacRitchie, Peirce and Seletar, lie in protected catchments closed to major development, and the wider stormwater network comprises 17 reservoirs and more than 8,000 km of canals and drains. PUB has stated that desalination would meet up to 30% of future water needs by 2060. Demand is projected to almost double by 2065, with non-domestic users taking a growing share. On the network, distribution losses fell to 7.1% in 2024, and every drinking-water test met WHO Guidelines and national regulations from FY2015 to FY2024.

Wastewater System

Used water is a core PUB operation alongside potable water and NEWater. The first phase of the Deep Tunnel Sewerage System, completed in 2008, combined a 48km deep tunnel from Kranji to Changi with 60km of link sewers and Changi Water Reclamation Plant. Changi’s expansion, commissioned progressively since 2024, raises treatment capacity from 202 to 246 million gallons per day. The system’s second phase repeats the model with deep tunnels, link sewers and a Tuas plant that includes NEWater treatment. Tuas is integrated with NEA’s Integrated Waste Management Facility and designed to be energy-self-sufficient.

Investment & Priorities

PUB’s capital expenditure combines PUB-funded and government-funded spending. The Deep Tunnel Sewerage System’s second phase was about 83% complete at the end of May 2026, with the tunnels finished and Tuas Water Reclamation Plant scheduled for progressive commissioning from 2027. PUB has issued two green bonds totalling $1.125 billion, and its borrowings consist of unsecured fixed-rate bonds. Coastal and drainage works draw on the Coastal and Flood Protection Fund, created in 2020 with an initial $5 billion.

Sustainability & Resilience

Climate pressure reaches PUB through both energy and the coast. Greater reliance on desalinated water and NEWater means its energy and emissions footprint could quadruple by 2065. PUB has deployed floating solar and plans to expand rooftop solar by 2030. Demand policy is also tightening: since January 2024, selected water-intensive industries must meet mandatory recycling requirements. Along the coast of a low-lying island, City-East Coast protection moves to design, with construction planned in the 2030s, while ‘Long Island’ is the proposed defence for the East Coast.

Key Challenges

1. Completing the Deep Tunnel Sewerage System’s second phase and commissioning Tuas Water Reclamation Plant from 2027.
2. Meeting demand projected to almost double by 2065 while moving household use towards the 2030 target.
3. Containing an energy and emissions footprint that could quadruple as desalination and NEWater grow.
4. Protecting low-lying coasts from sea-level rise through long-term coastal investment.

Major Projects