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.

Fifth Station Rain Garden

The rain garden, also called bio retention basin, collects, detains and treats rainwater runoff that flows from the park. The filtered rainwater is then further and reused in the water play area and wading stream. Approximately 80m² in size, it not only enhances the quality of rainwater runoff, but also promotes biodiversity. 

About 10 species of plants have been planted there. It is a small habitat for animals and insects, for example, we saw the Grey Pansy Butterfly. As excessive nitrogen and phosphorus in the air will cause algae bloom in the reservoir which is extremely detrimental, special plants are grown in the rain garden to absorb the elements. We feel that it is an intelligent method to curb algae growth and the lovely plants adds much natural beauty to the place. Besides, the plants serve as an excellent habitat for creatures of LSR to reside in.

Final Reflections

All in all, the Trail has helped us understand more about the ABC programme initiated by PUB. It aims to integrate Singapore’s parks, reservoirs and waterways and the community. Lower Seletar is one such example, with a Rain Garden, much shrubbery and numerous trees dotting footpaths, landscaped like a park. It has a large water retention capacity, thanks to the huge area it has for water from nearby canals and drains, as well as the numerous plants which help to trap water via transpiration. The residents living nearby can also engage in many activities and get closer to water, allowing them to realise how precious are our water resources and gain a deeper understanding on Singapore’s water sustainability plans, participating in them more actively. Singapore’s vision is to transform our nation into a city of Gardens and Water, a dream soon becoming a reality, which can be seen from our numerous reservoirs (such as Marina Barrage) which are exquisitely designed and soon becoming iconic landmarks of Singapore.

Singapore has built various reservoirs to meet our growing need for water due to the growing population and industrialisation. We have our 4 national taps, comprising of Local catchment water, Imported water, NE Water and Desalinated water. To have greater self-reliance, we currently have 17 reservoirs and ⅔ of our land space is used for water storage, a substantial amount. NE Water is an extremely advanced technology of purification of sewage water consisting of microfiltration, reverse osmosis and ultraviolet disinfection which renders the wastewater clean and safe to drink. We also conduct campaigns to educate the public on water conservation and promote NE Water. Water Wally is a mascot for one such campaign conducted by the PUB. The current syllabus for Geography includes much information on water sustainability in a local context.

To engage the community and encourage them to run the Trail or even visit the reservoir, PUB can hold events like mini-carnivals or performances at the reservoir like those held on the opening day of the LSR trail. They can hold marathons or walks there to encourage the community go there to exercise or bond as a family. They can provide free shuttle buses to ferry people from Yishun MRT station to attract people to go there and rent out land spaces for artworks such as sculptures to be displayed there.

It is everyone’s obligation to preserve the cleanliness of our water bodies to ensure clean, drinkable and inexpensive water for all. If we pollute the waters of LSR, greater costs would have to be incurred to purify it and the cost of water would then increase. We can do simple things such as disposing of litter properly and our conjoined efforts would add up to much. Also, when we see litter, we should proactively pick it up and dissuade others from sullying the beauty of LSR. We should try not to kill or capture the lovely insects residing in LSR as it would disrupt the ecosystem of the place. Together, we can do much for our waters.

An Ode to Lower Seletar Reservoir

An ode to Lower Seletar Reservoir,

A place of charms pure and natural,

With picturesque loveliness that enthralls.

What lush, leafy lovely shrubs so green,

Smiling upon me daily, what a scene!

Dainty butterflies flitting from tree to tree,

I think they are performing a dance for me!

How resplendent, come and see!

The morning rays light up the clear water,

Its transparent face illuminating gold,

No longer a film of glossy-mirror like cold,

Clean and unsullied, this water body is,

And it is our task to maintain this.

Buzzing with a flurry of activities is this place,

Fin-like paddles skimming the water surface,

Canoes gliding past like graceful swans oh my,

Blissfully families sauntering casually by.

Active, beautiful and clean,

Bursting with youth vitality,

Complete with such sheer beauty!