Mar 7, 2010
By Shuli Sudderuddin
By Shuli Sudderuddin
Brown grass patches, like at this Sengkang field, are a common sight as NParks has stopped routine watering of plants to conserve water. -- ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN
THE dry weather has brought a deluge of PUB officers - they knock on doors to tell households how to save water.
Staff from PUB, the national water agency, have been visiting homes from 2003 under the Water Efficient Homes scheme to teach conservation and money-saving tips.
But as the rains have stubbornly been keeping away - partly because of El Nino - the number of calls has trebled to about 5,000 a week.
El Nino is a climate phenomenon that disrupts weather patterns in many parts of the world, including South-east Asia. It usually leads to drier and warmer conditions in many parts of the region.
Singapore's current dry weather - 5.3mm of rainfall from Feb 1 to 23 - has led to a surge in water usage. About 322.5 million gallons a day were used from Feb 1 to 13. The lowest rainfall for any month was 8.4mm, recorded in February 1968 and February 2005.
PUB told The Sunday Times that the water levels at Singapore's 15 reservoirs are within the normal range.
