Profile of 2B Team Macritchie

Hi, we are Secondary 2 students from Anglican High School. Our class, 2B, visited Lower Seletar Reservoir on 24 March 2012 (Singapore World Water Day). We were split into groups of 10 and took part in the Learning Trail at Lower Seletar Reservoir. Being led by our group leader, Jun Yuan, our group consisted of Calla, Xin Yi, Esther, Cheryl, Pamela, Jin Yi, Yong Shen and Kang Wei. We actively participated in this Learning Trail and have learnt much about the Singapore Water Story. We would like to pen down what knowledge we have gained from the trail as well as express our feelings onto this blog. Please enjoy!! :)

- Lai Jun Yuan, leader of 2B Team Macritchie

Group Photo! :)

Introduction of Lower Seletar Reservoir (LSR)

Lower Seletar Reservoir is one of the 17 water catchment areas in Singapore and was opened in June 2010. The reservoir was formed by building a dam across Sungei Seletar. Rainwater that falls in parts of Yishun and Ang Mo Kio towns is channelled to this particular reservoir through the network of drains and canals. Singapore has 4 National Taps: Local Catchment Water, Imported Water, NE Water and Desalinated Water. Local Catchment belongs to Lower Seletar Reservoir. It plays a crucial role in ensuring Singapore has an ample water supply. It boasts of a rich and intriguing history. It is part of the Active Beautiful Clean waters (ABC) programme, which aims to involves the community in the nation’s efforts in ensuring water sustainability, its architectural structures are inspired its heritage. It is a meaningful place for outdoor learning. The Learning Trail is an effective way to educate students about Singapore’s water supply and get them involved in water conservation. It has enriched us greatly and is a unique and interesting way to teach students various topics. This first-hand experience we had at the topic ‘Water Resources’ beat learning from a textbook hands down.

E-Postcard

 Front of Post Card

Back of Post Card

First Station Viewing Deck

At our first station of the Lower Seletar Reservoir Learning Trail, we gained much insight upon the reservoir’s history. It was once known as Srí Lohíta (meaning straits). In the 19th century, people used to grow crops (such as pineapple and rubber) and trade for tobacco and kerosene along the water body, which was much smaller in the olden days. There were rural settlements there, with villagers growing crops as their livelihood. In the 1920’s, LSR, which was then called Seletar Reservoir, was built to support Singapore’s growing population and industrialisation. In 1969, its capacity expanded greatly.

Now, there are urban settlements (Yishun Town) located nearby, high-rise buildings have replaced the old huts of yester year. The place has changed greatly due to urbanization and industrialisation. The low population density, basic amenities and the linear settlements (near water bodies) of the previous village are a stark contrast to the high population densities and wide range of amenities (such as huge shopping malls) and nucleated settlements today. Instead of pathways, transportation services like MRT, buses and taxis could be seen. However, some things have remained the same. For example, people still go fishing in the reservoir, albeit for different purposes. Canoes are still used to transverse across the water body. The water body, despite having been expanded, is still present. Once, people traded on boats there, but now it is here to supply water for our country’s population. Lastly, we should treasure our easy access to clean, drinkable water.

Second Station Viewing Gallery

 

After a lengthy stride past the Heritage Panels , we arrived at our 2nd station, the Viewing Gallery. There, we were given an introduction of the Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters (ABC) Programme. The green bold, distinctive hues of green, blue and orange represents Singapore’s parks, waterways and community respectively. We were also briefed about the design features of LSR, which integrates our past with the present. For instance, the canopies of the Heritage Deck are inspired by the fishing nets our ancestors used. The Viewing Gallery is beautifully designed, and the design features of LSR benefits the programme in producing a sustainable urban environment for our community. 

Canopies of The Heritage Deck

Canoeing

There are various activities for the community to engage in there, such as canoeing, golfing, jogging or strolling leisurely to help integrate the community in the water sustainability efforts of the Singapore’s government. We got a more in-depth understanding on the ABC programme. To enhance our knowledge, we also made an epost card, depicting the beauty of LSR.

Golfing

Third Station Fishing Jetty

 

At the fishing jetty, the 3rd station of the Learning Trail, we carried out water quality testing. We learnt that good water quality is essential for living organisms in the water to thrive, which with then affect the health of eco-systems and safety for human contact and consumption. We personally collected some water from the reservoir itself and tested the sample by the following parameters: debris & smell, colour, turbidity, temperature, dissolved oxygen and pH. Under debris & smell, we saw that the water from the reservoir was colorless, with no debris seen on the water surface and an odourless smell. Moving on to colour, the water we collected was slightly greenish, indicating an algal bloom due to the high nutrients in the water, fertilisers or organic matter. For turbidity, the result was 40JIU which meant that the water was only slightly turbid. Next, the temperature that we had received from the water was 28 degrees Celsius, which was within the acceptable range of 28-30 degrees Celsius. The reading for dissolved oxygen is 4ppm and from this, we can analyse that the amount of oxygen dissolved is sufficient and at an acceptable limit, neither too much nor too little. Lastly, the PH of the water is in between 7 and 8, proving that the water’s pH is optimal. From these findings, we can conclude that the water is relatively clean but it cannot be directly drunk from this reservoir. It has to undergo treatment at a water treatment plant as there might be microscopic bacteria and unseen particles. However, the water quality of our reservoirs are considered rather clean as compared to water with chemical waste in it, which is rendered toxic even after it has been treated.

Fourth Station Litter Trap

Litter

At the litter trap, the second last station of the LSR Trail, we have learnt that generally, water from drains, ponds and canals in housing estates nearby (such as Yishun Town) are channelled into the reservoir and is used to supply water for Singapore after undergoing high-tech technology processing. As small items such as leaves, twigs, soil plastic bags and drink cans could choke up drainage systems, causing blockages and killing marine lives in LSR – disrupting the reservoir’s ecosystem. However, this problem has been alleviated by constructing a littler trap at the mouth of the canal to retain debris, preventing them from entering the reservoir. It is a vital component of LSR, as it prevents the reservoir from being contaminated by the aforementioned pollutants, without this contraption, the relatively clean waters in LSR would be susceptible to contamination and rendered uninhabitable and sullied. Then, a greater cost would be incurred to purify it. That said, despite having the effective litter trap to alleviate the problem, it is still our obligation to maintain the cleanliness of our water bodies.