A recent New York Times article on a wastewater treatment plant in San Diego, California led to this week’s Five Friday Facts. Singapore, a sovereign island nation of just over 5 million people has used effluent, a polite way of saying wastewater, to supplement drinking water for years. Elizabeth Royte mentions it in her book Bottlemania. She submits a sample of “NEWater” as it is known to a taste test. While it didn’t get much notice for its “artisanal” qualities (i.e. mouthfeel), it held up just fine. Some suggest that this could represent a significant source of “fresh” water in the future. Here are a set of five facts about Singapore’s water reclamation.

• In May 2000, the first NEWater plant was completed.
• There are 4 NEWater plants in Singapore.
• The latest and the largest NEWater plant at Changi with a capacity of 50mgd was opened in May 2010.
• NEWater now meets 30% of Singapore’s total water demand
• By 2060, NEWater is projected to meet 50% of Singapore’s future water demand.

Image source: Metropolitan Museum of Art