Freshwater reservoirs are usually protected places closed off to the public. The Singaporean government, however, is opening access to them as public spaces.

Yap Kheng Guan, director of the 3P network at Singapore's Public Utilities Board, said his government started the initiative four years ago.

"We believe that by allowing people to see the water reservoirs and by allowing them to interact with water entities, they will conserve, value and enjoy water," he said.

To make the sources more attractive to residents, the Singapore government plans to revamp its riverfront by improving the landscape and by providing a walkway along the banks.

COASTAL RESERVOIR: A view from Marina Barrage to downtown Singapore. (JP/Tifa Asrianti)

One of the major changes will be the development of the Marina Barrage reservoir in September. The Marina Barrage will also improve flood control and will be a lifestyle attraction.

As a water reservoir, the Marina Barrage will be the city-state's largest and most urbanized catchment at 10,000 hectares, one-sixth the size of Singapore. The government plans to create a reservoir two-thirds of its total land space by 2009.

"The Marina Barrage will prevent seawater from coming in and will allow the water in the reservoir to remain fresh for water supply," Yap said.

He said preservation efforts and technology were two key factors in the reservoir's construction.

"We cleaned up the river between 1977 and 1987 to ensure the quality of water flowing in our rivers and canals was good. Also, the advancement in membrane technology has allowed us to treat water from urbanized catchments," he said.

He said while the government provided S$226 million (US$166.3 million) in investment for the construction, it was a private company that built the facility.

As a flood mitigator, the Marina Barrage will be replenished with seven pumps. Each pump has a capacity of 40 cubic meters per second and can drain one Olympic-sized swimming pool of water in about one minute.

The pumps will discharge water from the reservoir into the sea when heavy rain coincides with high tide.

"There are low-lying areas in Singapore that can get inundated when the sea level rises. At its highest, the tide is three meters, so we designed the crest gates to be 5 meters high," Yap said

Besides supplying water and improving flood control for Singapore, the Marina Barrage will facilitate water activities, like boating and kayaking.

The barrage also has a pedestrian bridge connecting the marina's east and west. The pedestrian bridge may be used as a possible route for future marathons and can accommodate 1,800 people at a time.

The facility also provides eight sheltered look-out points along the bridge where people can take a rest and enjoy a panoramic view of the city and sea.

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