Resource-Starved Singapore Turns Sewage Into Ultra-Clean Water

Recycled wastewater can now meet 40 percent of Singapore's water demand -- a figure that is expected to rise to 55 percent by 2060, according to the country's water agency.

Giant pumps whir deep underground at a plant in Singapore that helps transform sewage into water so clean it is fit for human consumption while reducing ocean pollution. The tiny island nation has little in the way of natural water sources and has long had to rely principally on supplies from neighbouring Malaysia. To boost self-sufficiency, the government has developed an advanced system for treating sewage involving a network of tunnels and high-tech plants. Recycled wastewater can now meet 40 percent of Singapore's water demand -- a figure that is expected to rise to 55 percent by 2060, according to the country's water agency.